Midnight's Darkest Devils
by IPreferParakarry-Zackovic
Summary: When Ms Mowz is attacked by demons, cursed, and left alone in a permanent midnight world where everyone sleeps, she and her new surviving friends must find out what's truly happening and put a stop to it.
1. Chapter 1: Escape The Wrath

**I'm back for another long-term story project, another horror, maybe one not as bloody this time around. Enjoy.**

**Settings: Still Paper Mario.**

**Midnight's Devils**

**Chapter 1: Escape The Wrath**

Rougeport was normally quiet at night, but tonight it was unnaturally quiet, as if the town had been abandoned. No lights were on, no sounds came from the houses, even the moon seemed to have gone to sleep, giving no light from behind a gathering of storm clouds.

Ms Mowz was asleep in her bedroom behind her shop, The Lovely Howz of Badges. Her room was small, with a small desk in one corner, her bed in another corner and a window on one of her walls, with a door on the opposite wall. She started to stir, her closed eyes tightening. She started to thrash around, tossing and turning in her covers.  
"No...NO...N...Aaah!...NO!" She cried, then she shot upright, wide awake. Her breathing was heavy and she shivered in fear and from the cold.  
"What was that about?"" She asked herself. She tossed back her covers and went over her nightmare. Some papers blew off the top of her desk, scattering themselves across the ground. Ms Mowz turned towards the papers in surprise, forgetting her nightmare. With the windows closed, no wind should have been able to pass through. The papers started to rustle, then words started to appear on the papers, but the words were written in blood. A knot of fear started to build in Mowz's stomach. The words read: _'Beware, little fool.'_

A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder broke out outside of her window, briefly illuminating the room in a pool of light before disappearing. Ms Mowz's fear was quickly turning into terror. She started shivering again, this time completely out of fear. Whispering hisses started to float through the air, filling Ms Mowz's minds with threats and fear.  
"What's happening?" Ms Mowz squeaked in fear, unable to understand what was going on. She looked up towards the top corners of her room. Blood, dark and flowing, started to drip down the walls. Ms Mowz's stomach tightened. Her head was spinning from nausea and fear. More blood started to drip from other places: The corners of the walls, the roof, her table and the windows.

The door creaked open slowly. Ms Mowz turned towards the door with a gasp. Dark, shadowy tentacles made of bits of dust and what looked to Ms Mowz like pure darkness started to enter her room. She stood still, petrified from fear. The shadow tentacles stopped, as if detecting a presence, and it took all of Ms Mowz's willpower to stay perfectly still, not even breathing,hoping inside herself that the tentacles wouldn't notice her. Blood continued to fall from the walls and the window, until no more moonlight could be seen through the coating of blood. The tentacles tensed, then struck out at Ms Mowz. Ms Mowz screamed as the tentacles quickly wrapped around her, pulling her towards them. Ms Mowz desperately fought down her panic and twisted her arm as hard as she could, but the tentacles wouldn't let her go.  
"Let me go!" She shouted. She kicked at the tentacles, and they released their grip for a split second, enough for Ms Mowz to get away from them. She backed up and tried to slow down her breathing. The tentacles lunged again, but this time Ms Mowz sidestepped them then jumped over them and fled out of the door and down the hallways.

Ms Mowz shut the back door of her shop and locked it tight, before catching her breath. A thousand questions ran through her mind. What was going on? Why were the shadow tentacles chasing her? What did they want from her?

Cracks in the ceiling were dripping more blood, down the walls and straight to the floor or to the store counter, gathering in puddles. Even the few pictures she hung on the walls had blood dripping through them coating the faces of Ms Mowz and her friends.  
Ms Mowz thought about her friends. What was going to happen to them?  
A hammering on the door snapped Ms Mowz to her senses. There was no time to be distracted. First, she had to escape these tentacles.  
But before she could form a solid plan, shadows started to snake through from under the door, slithering around Ms Mowz's feet. She quickly sprinted towards the front door, but the shadows followed her. She had just opened the front door when the shadows turned back into tentacles, one wrapping around Ms Mowz's foot. Ms Mowz squeaked in surprise and fear as she was brought to the ground. The other shadows snaked in front of her and started to morph into figures.  
"Please," She whispered desperately. "What do you want from me?"  
The shadows formed into dark figures, all with black clothes, pale skin, demonic red eyes and evil smiles containing knife-like teeth. Two were human, one was a Yoshi and one was a Hammer Bro. The tentacle holding her turned into a Squeek exactly her size, easily locking her in his grip.  
"Hello there, Mowz, it's a pleasure to meet you." One of the Human demons snickered with his evil grin.  
Ms Mowz stared at him with silent terror. "What do you want from me? What do you want to do to me?  
The Yoshi demn laughed, a sound very similar to scratching metal. "Nothing for now, we just came to provide you a little gift."  
The way he had said 'gift', Ms Mowz knew it was not a good thing. The Yoshi demon brought out a black stamp with a red-hot tip and moved closer to Ms Mowz's right arm. Ms Mowz tried to jerk away, but the Squeek Demon had a firm lock. The Yoshi demon brought down the end of his stamp against Ms Mowz's skin. Ms Mowz screamed in pain as the red-hot stamp burned into her skin.  
The demons laughed with satisfaction. The Yoshi demon pulled back the stamp, and the Squeek demon let go of Ms Mowz. Ms Mowz fell to the ground, her arm burning, her eyes stinging with tears. She looked at her arm, and she saw the mark the demons had left: A black tattoo, designed in the appearance of black fire with a black, reptilian eye in the middle of the flames.  
"I hope you appreciate our gift, little girl, because next time we find you, we won't be as merciful." The first Human Demon hissed. The demons started to melt, morphing back into the shadowy tentacles, vanishing into the darkness below,leaving Ms Mowz alone on her knees. Ms Mowz panted heavily, all her energy having been sapped by her encounter. Only one thought ran through her mind.  
_'What is happening?'_  
She fell forward and fainted.

When she awoke, it was still as dark as it was before. She slowly got up, wincing in pain, especially on her right arm, where the demon's tattoo had been seared into her skin. She glanced into her shop, coated in blood from the night's mayhem, up towards the clock, which read: 8:45 AM.  
"Why is it staying so dark?" She asked herself as she walked inside her shop. She carefully tiptoed across the floor, staying clear of any blood, and walked to her counter, a long, polished wooden table that was built into the wall. She bent down underneath it and pulled out a small box.  
"I promised to use you only in an emergency," She said to the box as if it was alive. "and this is definitely an emergency." She opened the box and pulled out a knife, a polished, smooth blade about 9cm in length. She held it in her hands tightly.  
"I don't know what those demons are after, but I have to defend myself. And I have to find out what's going on."  
Her keen ears picked up a scraping sound from outside. Lightning-quick, she jumped over the counter and brought her knife to the ready. A figure was standing in the doorway, a Hammer Bro with a black shell and helmet. For a moment, Ms Mowz thought he might be a demon, but his skin was yellow like a regular Koopa and his blue eyes were shining with fear. He raised his hands in surrender.  
"Please! Don't hurt me!" He begged.  
Ms Mowz brought down her knife, still keeping her eyes on him. "Who are you?" She asked.  
The Hammer Bro took a breath. "My name is Bilic **(pronounced Bill-itch)**. I came her from the mainland with two of my friends. We were looking for a place to spend the night, when a group of figure's, I think they were demons, appeared out of the shadows and grabbed us. They beat us, then gave us these." He brought down his right arm. Ms Mowz gasped.  
He had exactly the same tattoo.

* * *

Announcement: I'm accepting OC's for this story. If you want one, add these points:

Name:

Age: (Between 14 and 19)

Gender:

Species:

Appearance:

Fears:

Items (If Any):

Backstory (If wanted):

Here's one that's already been passed on by my buddy, Koopakevic:

Name: Bilic (pronounced Bill-itch)

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Species: Hammer Bro

Appearance: Black Shell, Black Hemet, Ice Blue eyes.

Fears: Snakes, Closed spaces

Items: Black, spiked, two-headed hammer

Backstory: Traveled to Rougeport with two friends for some sightseeing and a camping trip. All changed when the demons attacked him and his friends.

Add these points in a review, favorite and follow, and your OC will appear in the story. Until next chapter, Para-Zackovic out.


	2. Chapter 2: Findings

**Chapter 2: Findings**

Ms Mowz followed Bilic down to the docks of Rougeport. Although it was morning, the darkness still filled the skies.  
"Any ideas why it's dark?" Bilic asked.  
Ms Mowz shook her head. She couldn't stop looking at the tattoo on Bilic's arm, the black fire with a reptilian eye in the middle of it. It was exactly the same as the one she had, and from how Bilic had described it, he'd gotten it in exactly the same way.  
As Bilic reached the piers, a Hammer Bro in a white shell and helmet came running up to him, his icy blue eyes reflecting panic.  
"Bilic!" He said.  
"Valge?" Bilic said. "What's the problem?"  
"It's Felix! He won't wake up!" Bilic swore and ran off in front. Valge and Ms Mowz followed. Soon, they had ran up to Bilic, who was crouched down in front of a few smahed crates, bits and splinters of wood surrounding him. On the smashed crate next to Bilic, a Hammer Bro with an orange shell and helmet laid, eyes closed, his left arm twisted in a painful angle and his lower lip covered in dried blood.  
"Felix!" Bilic called to the Hammer Bro. "Come on, stop fooling!" He sounded more worried than angry.  
Ms Mowz and Valge stood next to Felix, unsure of what to do. Ms Mowz took a look at Felix's twisted arm. Again, there was another tattoo, the exact same one she, Bilic and Valge had. She looked again at Felix's unmoving body.  
"What happened to him?" She asked.  
Valge looked at her. "We had just arrived here." He said. "At first, we were surprised by how dark and how quiet it was here. Then, these five figures,"  
"Demons?" Ms Mowz asked.  
Valge nodded. "They attacked us. We tried to fight back, but we were outnumbered and outmatched. One of them stabbed at Felix. There was a white flash and he was blown back into these crates."  
"White flash?" She asked.  
Bilic and Valge nodded.  
"I have an idea, just don't freak out." She said. She went over to Felix's head, then took a breath, closed her eyes, and put her lips to Felix's. She started to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Felix, slowly moving his chest. She stood back and gave Felix some space. Bilic and Valge were a little surprised, but said nothing.  
"Please work." Ms Mowz whispered.  
After a few tense moments. Felix finally coughed and opened his eyes. Bilic and Valge breathed out a sigh of relief. Felix slowly got up to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip.  
"How long was I out?" He asked, his voice raspy.  
"Twenty minutes." Valge said.  
Felix groaned, then noticed Ms Mowz. "Hello." He said.  
"She just woke you up." Bilic added.  
"Thanks." Felix said. "What happened to me anyways?"  
"From what your friends told me, the demons stopped your heart with an electric shock." Ms Mowz said.  
"Oh." Felix winced, rubbing the his tattoo. "It burns." He said.  
Ms Mowz nodded. "Yeah, it does."  
Ms Mowz, Bilic, Valge and Felix stood in silence for a few moments.  
"Is there anyone else around?" Felix said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.  
Ms Mowz's eyes widened and she gasped. "I don't know." She said nervously. "There's normally people everywhere, even here, but I haven't heard anything since I woke up."  
Felix nodded, looking kindly at her. His eyes were blue like Valge and Bilic, but seemed much more friendlier, like a good friend who liked to make jokes. Ms Mowz blushed slightly.  
Bilic took this into consideration. "We should check if there's still anyone around."  
Everyone nodded, and they took off to the town square.

Rougeport Town Square was still eerily empty, much to Ms Mowz's dismay. It seemed like the whole town had been put to sleep. All the lights were still turned off, leaving only the moon as a light source, which shone dimly through the dark clouds in the sky.  
"How can the moon be out in the day?" Valge wondered.  
"I don't know." Ms Mowz shrugged.  
"I bet the demons that attacked us have something to do with it." Bilic said.  
Ms Mowz's eyes widened. "That's it!" She said, turning to Bilic. "It must be, but we just don't know how."  
"Or why." Felix added.  
"Or how." Bilic said, staring at the ground, deep in thought.  
A scream of pain echoed through the air, snapping everyone from the silence. The scream had come from the Inn.  
"Someone's awake!" Felix said.  
"And in trouble!" Valge added.

They ran towards the Inn as fast as they could. Bilic brought out spiked, two-sided hammer and swung it at the door, smashing the lock in. Everyone went inside, running inside a small but simple bar, completely wooden with a long counter, a few benches and some bottles and glasses lined up on the wall behind the counter. Sounds of fighting were coming from upstairs.  
"This way!" Bilic shouted, pointing towards the Inn's staircase. He and his friends ran up the stairs as fast as they could.  
By the time Bilic, Valge, Felix and Ms Mowz had reached the top of the staircase and ran into the Inn's bedrooms, there was no fighting happening, but signs of fighting were obvious. Three beds had been overturned, some planks on the floor had been cracked, and two bodies laid face down on the floor; a male Toad with a white cap and red stripes in a pool of his own blood, a knife lodged in his chest, and a Human girl with long blond hair, white pants and lavender short-sleeved sweater. Felix gasped. Bilic ran up to the girl and turned her onto her back.  
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. He raised her right arm to check her pulse, but nearly dropped her when he saw the tattoo burned into her skin, the exact same one he and his friends had as well.  
He took a deep breath. He then checked her pulse again, being very gentle. He felt a faint pulse in her wrist, and breathed a sigh of relief.  
"She's alive." He said. "Although the same can't be said for the other guy." He looked at the dead Toad.  
The girl opened her eyes slowly. She winced in pain, clasping her right arm where the tattoo was. Bilic backed up to give her some space.  
"Who are you?" She asked, getting up into a sitting position, but remained tense. "What do you want from me?"  
"Nothing, we came to help you." Bilic replied. " We heard you scream, and we came here to find out why. But don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. My name is Bilic. Behind me are Felix, Valge and Ms Mowz."  
"I'm Jane." The girl said, her blue eyes carefully looking at each of them. She then got up onto her feet, brushing dust and wood shavings off her sweater.  
"What happened?" Ms Mowz asked.  
Jane sighed. "I just came here last week. I was going to study abroad, so I stopped here to for a night. While I was sleeping, a group of five figures, I'm sure they were demons, grabbed me, pinned me, then burned this tattoo into my arm." She pointed towards her arm.  
Bilic started pacing around the Inn's floor, muttering in an unfamiliar language.  
"What's he doing?" Ms Mowz asked Felix.  
"That? He's just thinking." Felix answered, sitting down on one of the beds. "Whenever Bilic get's flustered or angry, he starts to talk in Croatian. Me and Valge have learned to understand it, though."  
"So what's he saying?" She asked.  
"At the moment, he's putting together some type of conspiracy. I can't hear everything he's saying, but he's trying to relate the tattoo's and the demons with the turn of events." He said, then looked at Valge, who turning the overturned beds upright. He stopped for a moment, then pulled out a torn piece of paper from underneath the covers. He started to read it, and his eyebrows started to crease.  
"Felix, come look at this." He said.  
Felix, Ms Mowz and Jane all got up and walked over to Valge, leaving Bilic to ponder alone.  
"What is it?" Felix asked.  
Valge didn't lift his gaze from the paper, but he pointed a some words written on the paper.  
"Read this." He said.  
The words on the paper were written with blood, and the message was incomplete:  
'...in action. Commence the plan, as it was instructed. And do not fail. You do not want to end up facing the...'  
"Plan?" Felix whispered. "What does that mean?"  
"It might mean that the demon are taking orders from someone else." Ms Mowz offered.  
"Yikes." Felix said. "I thought those guys were tough enough. Now they're taking orders from someone else whose presumably far more powerful?!" He sighed and raised his hands. "Yep, we're screwed."  
"Felix, stay calm." Valge said, unimpressed by his friend's worrying. "I'm sure there's something we can do, but for now we need to keep our heads down."

By now, Bilic had already walked to a nearby door on the far side of the room, the one that led outside onto the roofs of the other buildings. He opened the door, hoping some fresh air would help clear his head from all of the demons and conspiracies that he kept coming up with. The moment he put his foot outside, he instantly brought it back. In front of him, a black Chain Chomp had snuggled up in it's own chain, also black, sleeping peacefully. Bilic gulped and took another step back, he didn't want to awaken it, fearing that the Chain Chomp might attack him.  
"Bilic!" Felix called. "Come see this!  
The Chain Chomp stirred and awoke, growling. Bilic swore silently. The Chain Chomp sniffed the air, then turned to Bilic and growled.  
"Stay." Bilic said, putting his hands out, backing away slightly. The Chain Chomp jumped excitedly and pounced on Bilic, sending Bilic backwards. Bilic mentally noted that the Chain Chomp had a blue X on his left side and knife-like teeth, inches away from Bilic's face. 'Well, this is it.' Bilic thought sourly. 'Cursed by demons and now I'm going to have my face torn off by a Chain Chomp.'

Ms Mowz saw the Chain Chomp pounce on Bilic and pin him to the ground. She was about to pull out her knife and attack, but when she saw the blue X on the side of his face, she instantly recognized him.  
"Riley!"  
The Chain Chomp barked happily and got off of Bilic, bouncing towards Ms Mowz. Ms Mowz patted his head gently, smiling.  
Bilic breathed a sigh of relief and got up. "You've got to be joking." He muttered. "You know this Chain Chomp?"  
"Yes I do." Ms Mowz said happily. " Riley here belongs to the Inn's owner. He acts like a guard dog."  
Riley barked happily.  
"Good to see you too." Ms Mowz said. "Now where's your owner?"  
Riley sniffed the ground, then bounced outside. Ms Mowz followed, leaving the others inside.  
"Unbelievable." Bilic muttered. "She likes that thing."  
Valge rolled his eyes. "Bilic, get over it. I know you've had some bad experiences with Chain Chomps, but you got to let this one go. If Ms Mowz can get along with him, then I'll trust Riley as well."  
Bilic sighed. "What should we do with him?" He said, pointing towards the dead Toad.  
A loud crack was heard from the open door. Everyone turned around to face the doorway, where a black hooded figure stood, gripping two razor-sharp knies in his hands, pulling another knif out of the open door. He was shaped as a Koopa, with crimson eyes, black clothing and pale skin,with black smoke curling at his feet.  
"I can't say what you can do with him." He said in a monotone voice, his mouth curling into a smile. "But you can join him."

Ms Mowz followed Riley through the cobbled streets of Rougeport, looking for Riley's owner. Riley stopped by the door of a small house that was sandwiched between two others. Ms Mowz knocked on the door, which was unlocked and creaked open slowly. The house was dark, apart from one lamp with a dimly glowing flame. She stepped inside carefully.  
"Hello?" She said. No reply came.  
She stepped forward again, and her foot landed in a puddle with a quiet splash. The smell of chemicals and blood filled her nose. She didn't want look down, knowing what she was stepping in, but she looked at the puddle that was at her foot. She looked off towards the edge of the puddle, and covered her mouth to prevent herself from gagging or screaming. A bloody, mangled body of a Toad with a Black cap and white stripes lay at the edge of the blood puddle, a stream of blood dripping from his mouth and a hole in his chest. Looking more closely, the Toad was male, wearing jeans and a gray sweater, and seemed unusually tall for a Toad.  
"What happened?" She breathed. Riley whimpered next to her.  
A sob echoed from behind her. "It was my fault."

**End of chapter 2. Left two cliffhangers at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**OC notes: OC submissions are still open. And to those who already sent theirs in, please be patient, as they will appear eventually in later chapters. I was just strapped for time and I wanted to put suspense on this chapter, otherwise it would have been longer still, and I don't usually make chapters this long.**

**Anyhow:**

**Jane is the OC of Wafflegirl0304 **

**Bilic is the OC of IPreferKooper-Koops-Koopakevic **

**Valge is my OC **

**Felix was recommended by DutchVlammen, a friend of Kevic with no FFN account **

**Riley is the OC of KingOfStories01**

**All for now, -Para-Zackovic**


	3. Chapter 3: Attack and Capture

**Chapter 3: Attack and Capture**

Bilic, Valge, Felix and Jane stood tense while the demonic Koopa walked closer to them. He was completely covered in black, a hood pulled over his head, his skin pale, his eyes glowing crimson, the two long knives in his hands gleaming and the shadow vapors licking at his feet. Every time he took a step forward, the walls at his side started to darken and blood started to drip from the cracks in the roofs, settling into crimson puddles on the floor.  
"Who are you and what do you want to do with us?" Bilic growled, not taking his eyes off of the demon.  
"Tsk, questions." The demon chided. "I'm afraid I won't answer them." He raised his knives. "Surrender yourselves to me, and don't mess about." Bilic, Valge and Felix each withdrew a double-spiked hammer and readied for battle. Jane tensed herself in a fighting stance. The demon smirked.  
"Very well, then. Let's battle." He said.  
Felix attacked first, swinging his hammer at the demon, who easily avoided the attack, sidestepping before kicking Felix in the back, sending him to the ground. Bilic and Valge attacked together, making vicious swings at the Demon, who easily avoided their swings.  
"Is that all you got?" He taunted.  
Bilic grew angry at the Demon. "Why don't you just fight me hand-to-hand then?" He said, throwing his hammer straight at the Demon. It should have connected straight to the Demon's heart, but the Hammer just past through him. The demon laughed.  
"Perhaps you'd like to fight like that now?" He mocked.  
Felix had gotten up and now stood next to Valge and Bilic. Bilic was trying to suppress his anger against the demon, but he knew he couldn't fight if the demon couldn't even be touched. Six dark, shadowy tentacles seemed to flicker on the floor around the Demon, extending closer to the three Hammer Bros, dripping blood along the floor as they slithered closer. Bilic could hear Valge's breathing increase, and he knew that it only happened when Valge was terrified.  
"Jane! A little help!" He shouted urgently.  
Jane started to run forward, but the Demon pointed his hand sideways, and two more shadow tentacles burst out from behind his back, wrapping themselves around Jane's arms and brought her to the floor on her back.  
"Nice try, girl." The demon clicked. He brought his knife at pointed it down at Jane, smirking with evil delight. "But now I'm going to take your life."

* * *

Bilic looked at Jane, defiance shining in her blue eyes as the Demon towered above her, knife gripped tightly in his pale hands. He drew his hammer again and gripped it tightly. Although he couldn't land a hit on the Demon, he wasn't going to let Jane die. He ran forward with a sharp battle cry and brought his hammer down with full force on the tentacles grabbing Jane. The tentacles disintegrated and released Jane, who got up to her feet. The demon barred his knife-like teeth.  
"Impressive, boy." He snarled, and lunged at Bilic. Before he could get close enough, two hammers collided with the side of his head. Valge and Felix attacked him, Felix shouting. They rammed into the demon's side with their shoulders, knocking him to the floor then picking up their hammers.  
"Stop trying to kill us!" Valge shouted at the demon. He brought down his hammer, but the demon evaporated before he could hit, the hammer going straight through the planks on the floor with a splintering crack. The demon formed again, this time carrying a knife between each of his fingers, his eyes blazing with anger.  
"Enough games." He hissed. "Surrender to me now before I show you what I am truly capable of."  
Bilic drew his hammer. "I'll take my chances." He said firmly.  
Bilic and the demon charged at each other, Bilic attempting a lethal swing to the demon's head. The demon disintegrated and Bilic passed right through him, reforming again once he had passed and gripped him tightly from behind. The side of the knife blade pressed against the back of Bilic's neck.  
"I told you not to mess about." He hissed to Bilic, the smoky tendrils licking at Bilic's legs. "Now you, Bilic Hammerask, will be my first victim."  
The demon raised his knife, ready to slice, when Jane threw a kick directly to the side of his head. The demon stumbled and let go of Bilic.  
"Apparently, you forgot that there are four of us." She said. She let go a quick combination of kickes at the demon, but he turned transparent and the kicks went through him. Jane gritted her teeth and backed up.  
"You might think I'm not much of an opponent now," The demon hissed. "But just you wait until I can gain full power, then you'll fear the wrath of Zatkar, and I will spare none of you."  
A hot, powerful wind blew through the room, stiffening everyone.  
"Two more." The demon cursed, then turned to Jane, Valge, Felix and Bilic and pointed at them. "Remember, just you wait." He disintegrated, shadowy pieces of him disappearing through the floor. A blast of energy blew everyone backwards, sending Jane, Valge, Felix and Bilic into the wall backfirst, dust blowing everywhere.

When the dust had cleared, Bilic coughed and got up to his feet, questions circling in his head. Who was the demon? And how had he known his full name?  
_'Now you, __Bilic_ _Hammerask__, will be my first victim.'_  
The memory sent chills through his body. He was frustrated not to know anything about the enemies, considering the enemy knew plenty about him and his friends.  
He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice two other figures in the room. One was a sky blue Yoshi carrying a long wooden rod with a bloody scar on the side of his face, a mysterious symbol hanging on his necklace, while the other was a human with spiky green hair, emerald green eyes, a green T-shirt, red battle trunks and shoes, and strange red gloves with holes for his fingers and strange markings on them. Bilic was not surprised to see that they both had similar tattoos to what he and his friends had picked up.  
"What happened here?" The Yoshi asked, looking at the destroyed beds, bloody walls and puddles and cracked floors.  
Bilic sighed, his and his friends' skins and clothes coated in blood.  
"It's a long story, but first, we need to get out of here." He said.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Ms Mowz asked.  
She looked at the figure in front of her, startled by her sudden appearance and her looks. She was an unusually tall female Toad, with a black cap with white spots, blond hair falling over her left shoulder with some of the strands colored black, with a black coat and pants and a collar-like band around her neck with three stripes of black and white. Her eyes startled Ms Mowz the most: The left eye was sky blue and the other was scarlet red.  
The Toad coughed sadly. "I killed him, my own brother."  
Ms Mowz was so surprised she could only stare, gasping in shock. She looked over at the dead body next to her.  
"H...how?" She stuttered. "I had come to see him just an hour ago, only to find him in some type of coma. I didn't know what to do. I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't. I started to get nervous about him, since he was normally a light sleeper. That's when a demon emerged from the wall and attacked me. I tried to...to protect my brother, but the demon started to play with my mind, forcing me to think like him. I...I lost c...control." Her eyes had started to get misty with tears. She knelt down next to her brother and let her tears fall.  
Ms Mowz was at a loss for words. She had no idea what to say. Riley whimpered next to her. The Toad looked at Riley, her eyes suddenly alert. She saw the blue X on Riley's cheek and her eyes widened.  
"Wait, that's my brother's signature!" She said.  
Ms Mowz jumped. "What?!"  
"The blue X! It's exactly what my brother marked onto all of his belongings." Her eyebrows creased. "Although he never told me he had a Chain Chomp.  
Riley barked happily and snuggled to The Toad, who wrapped her arms around him tightly.  
"If you're the only thing my brother has left behind, I'll..." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say. She noticed Ms Mowz looking at her, still unsure about her.  
"Pardon me." The Toad said. "sorry for drifting off so suddenly, but it happens a lot to me now."  
Ms Mowz nodded. "It's alright." She said. "I'm Ms Mowz.  
"My name's Elise."  
Riley sniffed and tensed. He ran outside and turned too the left, bouncing down the street. Elise and Ms Mowz quickly got up and followed. "Aaaaah!" A terrified scream came from down the street, sounding masculine. "Chain Chomp!"  
Ms Mowz and Elise sprinted down the street. In front of them, Riley bounced happily, constantly circling a three-segment, yellow Pokey with a blue scarf, who was shaking violently, back against the wall at a corner in the street.  
"Get away from me!" He shouted at Riley, clearly scared.  
Ms Mowz whistled. "Riley, heel!"  
Riley backed up. The Pokey slowly started to calm down.  
"Sorry." He said. "It's just that I'm afraid of Chain Chomps. I've had some bad incidents with them."  
"Don't worry." Ms Mowz said gently. "Riley is quite tame."  
Riley barked happily in reply.  
The Pokey took a shaky breath. "Okay." He said. "Sorry for freaking out. My name is Sharper Barkely, or just simply Sharp."  
"Im Ms Mowz." Ms Mowz said. "You already know Riley."  
"Im Elise." Elise said, keeping her expression flat. Ms Mowz suspected she was still trying to keep herself together.  
"Can I ask you guys something?" Sharp asked. "How come it's so dark? And what's with all these demon attacks I keep hearing about?"  
Ms Mowz shook her head. "Wait, _other_ demon attacks? Who told you that?!"  
"I did." A timid voice spoke from behind Sharp. Ms Mowz and Elise hadn't noticed, but an Ice Bro with a black waist bag and a blue watch was standing right behind the wall at the corner. " My name is Jainen. Sorry for hiding. I'm just timid."  
Elise shrugged. "That's okay. I can relate to that." She said. Ms Mowz noticed a mark on the Ice Bro's arm. She wasn't too surprised to see that it was the same tattoo that she had.  
"Elise, do you have a tattoo?" She asked.  
Elise nodded, pulling up the sleeve of her coat. "Yeah, I think the demon gave it to me."  
"Demons? That's what I got as well!" Jainen said.  
Ms Mowz thought hard. Everyone who was awake or alive seemed to have a tattoo like hers. But what did the tattoo stand for? Nothing would come together. If it were the demons who were causing all of this, they were doing a great job at keeping her confused. She could almost imagine the demons laughing at her confusion, and the thought made her angry, almost like how Bilic had been.  
Thinking about Bilic snapped Ms Mowz out of her thoughts. She had left Bilic and the others alone.  
"We have to get back to the town square." She said. "I've got other friends there."  
The others nodded.  
"I'm starting to think it's getting too dangerous to be here alone, especially with all these demons about." Jainen said.  
Ms Mowz managed a smirk. "Well then, I guess that's why we're all together." She turned around, Riley jumping alongside her. "Follow us."

* * *

"So you two ran into each other on the way here?" Bilic asked the sky blue Yoshi, who said his name was Sky. Felix had thought the name was kind of tacky, at least until Bilic and Valge punched him on the arm.  
Now, Bilic, Jane and Sky sat down on the entrance step to Rougeport's Item shop while Valge and Felix were talking to the other "Literally." Sky said. "Dragon Blazer and I simply ran straight into each other."  
"Let me guess, you were running away from demons?" Jane asked.  
Sky nodded. "Yeah." He muttered. "Damn things were chasing me down the tunnels when I ran into Blazer. Dude mistakened me for an enemy and nearly roasted me."  
Bilic looked at Dragon Blazer, who was showing off some of his fighting skills to Felix, his hands ablaze.  
"How the heck can he use fire?" Bilic wondered aloud.  
"It's those gloves." Sky answered. "I think they're enchanted or cursed or something like that." His voice constantly kept dropping into a mutter every time he was finishing a sentence.  
"So what do we do now?" Jane asked.  
Bilic let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know." He admitted. "We don't know anything about what's going on or what we're up against, and those demons seem to know an awful lot about us." He started tapping his feet on the cobbled street in a broken rhythm, closing his eyes firmly in thought.

Valge was quietly impressed by Dragon Blazer's fighting techniques, from his boxing to Martial Arts to street fighting expertise.  
"Dude, you're awesome." Felix said to Dragon Blazer.  
"Well hey, _I am_ the Glitz Pit champion after all." He said proudly.  
This bugged Valge. Blazer was too proud and overconfident. It constantly annoyed him.  
"Or maybe I'm just jealous." He muttered to himself. "After all, I'm just a normal Hammer Bro, not a fighting champion." He started pacing around the Town's main square, starting to grow anxious.  
"How long has Ms Mowz been gone?" he thought to himself, growing worried. It felt like ages to him since Ms Mowz had taken off with Riley, and he had to push aside the thought that something bad had happened to them.  
He looked out towards the road leading to the East Side of Rougeport, then sighed with relief as he saw Ms Mowz approach into his line of view. She wasn't alone however, with Riley and three other figures right behind her.  
He was about to call out to evryone else that Ms Mowz was back with, hopefully, some other friends.  
That's when a cold, pale, skeletal hand clamped over his mouth and pulled him into the shadows.

* * *

**End of C3.**  
**Aaand...It's another cliffhanger. Anyways, hope you enjoyed Chapter 3, as I'm trying hard with this story, trying to balance action, suspense and mystery all together.**

**OC Notes: Window still open for more OC's, so if there are any, don't hesitate.**  
**Sky Yoshi is the OC of EPICYOSHI39000 **

**Dragon Blazer is the OC of dragon19kyoshi **

**Sharp Barkley is the OC of Honeyman **

**Jainen (pronounced Yai-nen, since it's Finnish. Originally Mog, but changed name with permission) is the OC of Moley Koopa.**

**Elise is the OC of BoomShroom.**

**There's still some other OC's to add, and I apologize if I've missed any.**

**Anyhow, stay awesome, and sorry for the long footnote.**  
**-Para-Zackovic (expect C4 very soon)**


	4. Chapter 4: Split Into Groups

**Chapter 4: Split Into Groups**

Valge's mind went into panic as he was dragged into the shadows, a pale, cold, skeletal hand clamped over his mouth to prevent him from speaking. Fear raced through his head. What was going to happen to him?  
He felt himself being spun around, the hand removed from his mouth. His breathing had increased again, the way it always did when he was scared. His vision was blurry, but when it cleared, his breathing increased even more. In front of him was a ghostly spirit, sickly green in aura with the body turning in wisps of smoke from the waist, with a dying, old man's face, complete with jutted bones and barely opened eyes that stared into Valge's. His mouth hung open, showing exactly three teeth, yellow but deathly sharp. All around them, the shadows pressed in, letting in no sign of the outside world.  
"What the hell are you?" Valge shrieked, unsure if his friends could hear him or not.  
As if reading his mind, the spirit answered. "None of your friends can hear you, Valge." He said in a raspy, light voice that seemed to echo in the shadows, his mouth still unmoving.  
"How do you know my name?" Valge asked, voice quivering.  
"Spirits know many things, like the message I came to pass to you." The spirit answered.  
Valge gulped. If the message came from a spirit like this, Valge was sure it wasn't anything good.  
"T...tell me then." He replied shakily.  
"Very well." The spirit rasped. "It's a grave forseeing of your future."  
Valge stood tense. "Go on." He said anxiously.  
"You will die at the hands of the people you lest expect, your friends. Even your closest friends will turn their backs on you when you need it most."  
Valge tried to make it sink in, the fact that he'd die for his friends, but it seemed so ridiculous to him.  
"No, I won't." He said defiantly. "But I won't abandon my friends for it."  
The spirit sighed sadly. "As you wish, Valge Hammeraki. Do not blame anyone but yourself for your death."  
With that, the spirit faded, and Valge returned to the real world. Ms Mowz was still walking towards him and his friends, meaning no time had passed during his disappearance. Valge sat down on the ground and held his head in his hands, trying to go over what the old spirit had just said, that he'd die at the hands of his friends. It seemed impossible. His closest friends, Bilic and Felix, they'd grown up together since they were small. They were so close that some people mistakened them for brothers.  
"They can't." He muttered. "They won't turn themselves on me." His voice cracked, trying to comfort himself.  
A hand fell on his shoulder, and Valge recoiled. It was just Felix, who raised his hands back in surprise.  
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He said.  
Valge sighed. How could the spirit forsee his fate in such a way? Looking at Felix, and thinking of his crazy, happy, optimistic personality, his proclaimed fate seemed even more ridiculous than ever.  
"Dude, are you okay?" Felix asked, clearly worried for his friend. He reached out to put his hand on Valge's shoulder again, but Valge pushed it aside.  
"I'm fine." He replied harshly.  
Felix backed up, surprised by his friend's sudden hostility. It wasn't like Valge to be so angry and distant. Felix looked at Ms Mowz, who was already calling everyone together.  
Felix shrugged. "Okay, buddy." He said. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But we should go greet our new friends." He got up and offered Valge a hand.  
Valge didn't look up. "You go ahead." He muttered.

* * *

Once everyone had gotten familiar with each other and greetings had been made, Bilic decided to speak up.  
"Everyone, it seems we've been purposely kept awake by these demons while everyone else has been forced into sleep."  
"Are you sure?" Sharp asked.  
Bilic nodded. "Although it's only my theory, I believe it has something to do with these marks the demons left on us." He pointed to his own tattoo.  
"So how come these two don't have those marks?" Blazer asked, pointing at Sharp and Riley.  
"I assume it's because they're already monsters." Bilic answered. He then realized what he said. "No offense."  
"None taken." Sharp said. Riley barked in agreement.  
"So what should we do?" Jainen asked.  
Everyone thought this over. No one had a clear plan.  
"I think we should split into groups and look for hints." Ms Mowz spoke up after some silent moments. "Considering we know almost nothing about the demons or what they have in store, any information we find will vital."  
No one seemed very comfortable with the idea, but Elise, Bilic, Felix, Sharp and Jane nodded in agreement.  
"Or we can sit here and watch the demon's plan unfold, and I think we all agree that whatever they have planned is bad news." Bilic added.  
Jainen sighed. "Okay then, let's create our groups."  
"Yeah, it's better than staying here in confusion." Sky muttered.  
Bilic started counting everyone. "There's eleven of us." He frowned slightly. "That doesn't split in anyway."  
A distant flutter of wings could be heard, putting everyone on alert. Sky pulled out his wooden rod, which morphed into a five-foot, double sided spear.  
"Who's there?" He called.  
"Show yourself and no one gets hurt!" Bilic commanded.  
Nothing moved or even made a sound in the darkness. The only sources of light were the hazy moon and the street lamps that were lined in the town square, while the only sound was the wind that blew through the Town Square.  
"Valge, come over here." Felix called quietly to his friend, who still standing away from the group, deep in his own thoughts.  
Valge cautiously snuck over to the group, but no one emerged. The entire Town Square seemed to be holding his breath.

* * *

Bilic stood tense, his hammer clenched in his left hand. Whatever was hiding from them, he wanted to see, not sure if he or she was friend or foe.  
"Show yourself and no one gets hurt!" He shouted again. He glanced to his sides, expecting something to move. Then everything went completely silent. Bilic instantly knew something was going to attack. He drew his hammer upwards, then was suddenly blown backwards off his feet, a sharp claw digging into his arm. He dropped his hammer as he flew backwards, smashing into the Inn's wall, causing bricks and dust to fall everywhere.  
"Bilic!" He heard Felix shout.  
Bilic could hardly move. His vision was swirling, his ears were filled with uneven sounds, and his left arm had been sliced open, red, painful and bloody. A figure towered over him, shrouded in dust. He didn't have his hammer to defend himself, even if he could get up. If whoever was standing over him decided to kill him, he'd be powerless to stop it.  
The figure standing over him was human-shape, tall and female, but her some of her features didn't seem human. Her eyes seemed to glow purple, her nose and mouth were shaped into a beak, her dark purple dress was torn, with a similarly colored pouch slung over her shoulder, and she had two eagle-like wings on her back.  
"Stop hurting me!" She shouted at him.  
Bilic was confused. He'd never even met this person before, and his head was still swimming.  
"W...what are you talking about?" He asked groggily.  
She looked ready to kill him, her eyes glowing harshly and her hands ready to choke him.  
"Don't play with me, spirit!" She yelled at him. She tried to grab his neck, but was grabbed backwards with a surprised shriek. Elise had grabbed her from behind, with the rest were right behind.  
"Listen to me, he's not an enemy or a spirit." She said to the half-bird gently, trying to calm her down.

* * *

Jainen slid down to his knees right next to Bilic and examined his arm carefully. He winced at the bleeding arm and torn skin, but quickly pulled out a wrap of cloth, a needle, some thread and three pills from his black waist bag. He offered Bilic the pills.  
"Take this." He ordered gently.  
Bilic didn't resist and swallowed the pills. Instantly, his body and mind went numb, dulling the pain in his head and his bleeding arm. Jainen set to work with his needle and and thread, with furious concentration and partial worry in his eyes, and started to stitch up Bilic's torn arm. When he was done, he tied the wrap of cloth around Bilic's patched, bloody arm and let out a massive sigh of relief.  
"Thankfully the cut wasn't too deep." he muttered. Everyone was looking at him with obvious, surprised, relieved and impressed looks on their faces.  
"Jainen, that was...amazing." Ms Mowz breathed.  
Jainen only shrugged. "Well, I spent a lot of time in Medical School, in both medicine and surgery, so I guess just knew what to do."  
Bilic winced next to him and tried shakily to get up.  
"Don't worry, it's just the anaesthetic wearing off. You'll be back up to strength in a few minutes." He said.  
"Thanks." Bilic said gratefully.  
"Don't thank me." Jainen said, embarrassed. "That wasn't actually in my training."  
"Well, it certainly looked like it was." Ms Mowz noted.  
Jainen blushed slightly. He didn't want to tell the others, but he hadn't been thinking when he stitched up Bilic. It was as if someone else had taken over and used his hands. But his mind had been completely focused, as if he was still in control. He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from his head. It only confused him even more. He straightened his Ice Blue helmet and helped Bilic up.

* * *

Elise had managed to calm and convince the half-brid that Bilic wasn't a demon. While they walked back to the group, having been aside with Jane to calm the half-bird down, she asked the half-bird what her name was.  
"It's Violent Jo." Was the reply.  
Jane didn't think that was a suitable name, but said nothing. She noticed the tattoo on Jo's arm, and her story about thinking Bilic was a demon made sense. After all, Bilic was wearing black and his skin was a little more paler than his friends.

* * *

Valge had watched the whole incident between Bilic and Jo unfold with an unusually calm silence. He would have felt terrified to see Bilic be attacked, but the old spirit's proclaimed fate about kept him silent. If it was true, Bilic might be the one responsible for his death. Now, he stood aside from the group in quiet frustration at his confusion.

* * *

Jainen came up to Valge, trying to get away from the attention about his miraculous medical abilities, allowing Ms Mowz and Bilic to hold a discussion about their plans. To him, it seemed that Ms Mowz and Bilic had been silently appointed as the leaders. Seeing Valge stand on his own, he was reminded of some of his time in medical school, the time he had visited one of the Mushroom City's hospitals. He was sure he had seen Valge before.  
"Valge?" He asked cautiously.  
Valge didn't even look at him. "What?" He asked angrily.  
"Do I seem familiar?" Valge looked at him through the corner of his eye, examining him carefully. "Maybe."  
"Was it in a hospital?"  
Valge tried to remember. "I think it was, why?"  
Jainen shrugged. "I just thought I had seen you before, in a similar behaviour."  
The memory came rushing back to had been hospitalized two years ago after colliding with a cyclist when Bilic and Felix had been sightseeing the city. The cyclist had somehow disappeared, and no witness claimed to have seen him. The confusion that had followed, along with the feeling he had gotten when no one had believed him, had brought him into a similar mood, close to what he was feeling now. What had scared him at the time was what the alledged cyclist had said to him.  
_'Your time is short, Valge Hammeraki. I have foreseen a bleak future for you. Come with me now, and I can spare you from future pain and loss.'_  
What had scared him then was how the cyclist knew his name, or had supposedly foreseen his future. It was chillingly similar to what the old spirit had told him a few minutes ago.  
Valge let out a quiet growl and turned away, hating himself for his feelings.  
"Let's just go back to the others." He muttered, and walked back to the group, not bothering to look back at Jainen.

* * *

Ms Mowz looked uncertainly at her friends. She barely knew anything about them, but now they were all here together, as if they were all pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.  
'It must be a heck of a puzzle.' She thought to herself. Everything seemed so vague to her. Not just her friends, but the constant darkness, the demons and their plans as well.  
It had been her idea to split up into groups and hunt for clues. Now, she was reconsidering the idea.  
"Should we try a different idea?" She whispered to Bilic.  
Bilic shook his head. "No. Splitting up into groups is our best bet. We'll cover more ground, and more demons might attack us."  
"How is that a good thing?" Felix asked in surprise.  
"If a demon tries to attack us, there will be three of us in each group. You know how well groups of three work together."  
Felix nodded in grim agreement. "Three does work together well." He agreed.

* * *

Bilic knew Felix was thinking about the times they and Valge had been together, exploring and hanging out as friends. But now, the stakes were much higher for all of them. Bilic was sure that if they didn't stop the demons or their plans in time, the entire world would be doomed. Felix had often called him pessimistic, but there seemed to be a ring of obvious certainty around the idea. The question now was how much time they all had. That meant that answers had to be found soon.  
Bilic clapped his hands together, snapping himself from his deep thinking. His friends were his priority.  
"Okay everyone. It's been our decision to split up into groups to find out what's going on." He announced. "Since there are twelve of us now, we'll spilt very easily. I recommend four groups of three."  
Everyone looked at each other, trying to find their partners. Bilic already knew who he'd be with. It had been clear to him from the start. He called Felix and Valge over.  
"We'll be group 1." He said.  
Felix gave out a quiet cheer, while Valge nodded, his expression still distant. Ms Mowz had joined with Elise and Riley. Jane teamed up with Sky and Sharp, leaving Dragon Blazer, Jo and Jainen as the fourth and final group.  
Bilic looked at Ms Mowz, then everyone else with a stern nod.  
"May luck be with us all." He said to everyone. They took off in groups, each taking a different direction.  
'Of course, luck has not been very dependable of late.' He thought bitterly to himself.

**End of C4.**

* * *

**So, with that, I am closing the window for OC submissions. Twelve characters is a little bit over the top for me, as you can see since I'm constantly moving between POV's, hopefully with some good explanations, but since I've split them into groups now I'll be much more able to keep track of them.**  
**I also plan to delve a little deeper into the character's personalities and pasts. But that will have to wait until next time. Shouldn't be too long though, since I've gotten a week off from school, so expect chapters at a little faster crank.**

_**Remember:**_

**1. Bilic, Felix and Valge**

**2. Ms Mowz, Riley and Elise **

**3. Jane, Sharp and Sky.**

**4. Dragon Blazer, Violent Jo and Jainen.**

**Until then, stay patient. -Para-Zackovic**


	5. Chapter 5: Train Wreck

**Hope you like the story's cover. Anyways, the characters have divided into groups. Enjoy Chapter 5.**

**Chapter 5: Train Wreck**

Bilic, Felix and Valge took the west side of Rougeport. Bilic was glad they did as he looked around. The west side was significantly nicer than the rest of Rougeport, with it's clean streets and houses and it's small garden with a fountain in the middle of it.  
Valge was still following him and Felix, a little further behind him than he would prefer, looking distracted and vague. Bilic was starting to wonder what was going on with his friend. It wasn't like Valge to be secretive or distant. As the three of them had virtually grown up together, they kept no secrets from one another. But Valge looked like he was hiding something. 'Something possibly vital.' Bilic thought. He tried to ignore it. He was here to look for clues about the demons and their plans. Any knowledge would be important. The only clue they had found was the scrap of paper Valge had found at the inn. Felix carried it now, mulling over the incomplete message every ten minutes.  
The three of them wandered around, not exactly sure what to be looking for. Felix was scanning the graffiti on some of the walls, whistling a happy tune. Bilic managed a small smile. Leave it to Felix to have a lighter mood, even when things were completely dark. Valge kept his gaze on the ground as he walked around the park, either looking for traces or sulking. His eyes were constantly flicking around, and he kept looking over his shoulder, expecting something to attack him.  
Bilic sighed. He needed to get his friend to focus. He wanted to know whatever was bothering Valge, immediately.  
"Valge, what's going on?" He asked, walking up to his friend.  
Valge wouldn't meet his eyes. "Nothing."  
Bilic folded his arms. He wasn't going to give up easily. "You say that, but it's obvious something's not right."  
Valge rolled his eyes. "Just leave me alone." He muttered.  
"I have left you alone. But now I want answers: What are you hiding?"  
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Valge said harshly.  
"Tell." Bilic insisted.  
"No." Valge replied firmly.  
Bilic lost his temper. He grabbed Valge by the shoulders and stared into his eyes.  
"Valge, this isn't like you." He said. "Now what's going on."  
Valge pushed his friends away, fury and sadness filling his eyes. "Fine!" He shouted. "But you won't believe me."  
"Try me."  
Valge took a breath. "I'm going to die, soon." He held his hand up, even though Bilic wasn't planning to say anything. "Like, really soon. Especially if I stay around with you. A spirit approached me and said that I'd die at the hands of my closest friends." He lifted his head to meet Bilic's focused eyes, his own eyes starting to mist. "That means you, and maybe Felix too."  
"That's impossible." Bilic growled.  
Valge shook his head. "See?! I knew you wouldn't believe me!"  
"What's going on?" Felix asked, having quietly snuck over to the others. He was clearly worried about the argument.  
"It isn't the first time either!" Valge continued shouting. "Two years ago, I was hit by a cyclist in Mushroom City, who actually turned out to be another **[expletive]** demon!"  
"Valge, everyone said you were hit by a car while crossing the streets." Felix said.  
"That was a lie! You all think I can't remember what I saw with my own eyes!" Valge's voice had risen quite high, expelling his stress with sheer anger, tears streaked down his face. " I swear it was a demon, very similar to the ones that are attacking us now!"  
"Valge, for the last time -" Bilic growled, still not believing, but was cut off by a strange sound, one that sounded like an old train coming to rest. Felix curiously ran off north, past a row of houses and underneath a sign that indicated there was a train station.  
Bilic took one angry look at Valge. "You and I can start this again later." He pointed at Valge. "But we should check what's going on."  
He ran after Felix. Valge reluctantly followed.

* * *

Felix turned at a corner and ran up a flight of stairs that led onto a train station platform. A train had stopped right beside the platform.  
"Woah, the Excess Express." He breathed in awe, admiring the sleek, black train. "I've always wanted to ride on you." He looked down towards the end of the train, and his heart sank. The carriages attached to the Excess Express looked like they'd been attacked by monsters, or, Felix reconsidered, demons. The first two carriages were intact but covered in dust and grime, the third carriage's windows were smashed in, thick smoke curling from the broken glass. The fourth one was completely crumpled, the roof caved in and the whole carriage overturned on it's side, leaving the wheels spinning loosely in the air. The doors of the carriages opened with a compressed hiss, but nothing, mortal or demon, emerged.  
Felix swallowed, nervous. If the train had turned up like this, all ghost-like, Felix wasn't too sure it was the best of ideas to go inside. He clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly trying to calm himself down. He slowly reached for his hammer and held it tightly in his left hand. Bilic and Valge hadn't followed him.  
"Here goes nothing." He said, trying to be upbeat for his own sake, and slowly jumped up into the first carriage.

Felix instantly thought about turning back, but something kept him from doing so.  
The inside of the train would have been very posh if it was up to it's regular standards. But whatever had caused it to pull up to the station eerily had left it's damage. The electricity on the train had been cut, leaving only the moonlight that shone through the window as the only light source. One of the doors to the cabin had been broken off it's hinges. And everywhere he looked, Felix saw the unmistakable color of blood as it leaked down the walls and dripped onto the carpeted floor.  
"Stay calm." He whispered to himself. "There's got to be some clues around here." He took his first steps down the hall, opening the door to the next carriage. He found himself in a dining carriage, with an array of overturned tables, stained tablecloths (Felix didn't want to know what the stains were) and a terribly messy kitchen. Felix quickly turned off the gas stove, which was still burning openly.  
"Yikes, this place is already in bad shape." He said with a nervous smile. "We don't need to set this place ablaze." He spotted a piece of bread and grabbed it, taking a nervous bite out of it. The softness calmed him down slightly. He proceeded to the end of the hall, past the train's souvenir shop and more stained carpeting and into the next carriage.

The next carriage was in shambles, with chunks of broken furniture and bloodstained rags and carpets spread everywhere. Smoke curled out from an open door in the far cabin, but there was no sign of any active fires. Felix swallowed, trying to settle his nerves a little. He cautiously checked every cabin, searching for clues or any sign of demons. Nothing caught his eye. he frowned.  
"How come there's nothing easy to find?" He asked himself. "Those demons are really good at not leaving much to give."  
He turned, just quick enough to see a piece of paper fly through the air. A freezing wind was blowing through the broken windows. Felix quickly grabbed the piece of paper. The note was incomplete.

_'I see them everywhere, horrible figures, the souls of the damned and the vengeful, eternal slaves to the evil mistress herself. They haunt, they kill, they will not stop until they enslave or sedate the living, then will cast the world into endless midnight. The only way to stop them is to -'_

The note ended, and scrawl of ink written at the end, as if the writer had had the paper taken away from him.  
Felix nearly dropped the paper. This was about the demons, he was sure of it. Felix understood instantly. The demons' plan was to enslave or put the world to sleep, then suck it into and infinite darkness.  
"That explains some things." He said. "Though I might have been able to figure it own on my own." His expression darkened. "But this doesn't explain how to stop them. And who's this evil mistress?"  
A flash of white lightning streaked across the sky outside, temporarily lighting the room in a eerie white. Felix flinched, then tried to calm himself. He still had one last carriage to check. He noticed a lamp hanging by the door to the next carriage, and picked it up, turning on it's small valve and lighting the kerosene inside. A small flame flickered into life, casting a warm glow of orange around Felix, causing him to relax a little. He unlocked the last door and pushed it open.

The last carriage, the storage carriage, had been overturned, it roof caved in as it lay on it's side, it's wheels spinning uselessly in the air, various crates and suitcases spilling out through the open hole in the roof. A disturbing muttering could be heard from inside the carriage.  
Felix could feel his body tremble, but he couldn't stop it. The muttering was freaking him out. He carefully jumped down onto the track and went inside the last carriage through it's broken roof, sidestepping to avoid a razor-sharp piece of wood that jutted out in front of him.  
The muttering he had heard had now turned into a growl. Felix felt weak, but still continued. The rest of the carriage was pitch black. Felix held his lamp in front of him to see where he was going. He saw more broken crates, shattered glass and smashed train pieces, but as he looked deeper into the shadows, he swore he saw something move.  
felix wanted to turn around and run back to his friends, but something compelled him to move in further. Something moved again, and Felix could identify it as a human figure, wearing worn and battered ghetto clothing, a hood pulled over his face, his body rocking back and forth, growling incoherently, his arms tied at his side to an old wooden chair. Feilx took a step closer and the man looked up, staring straight at him, eyes blazing with rage and insanity, his face hard as a rock.  
Felix yelped and stumbled backwards, dropping his lamp, which rolled away. The man regarded Felix with loathing, as if he'd been waiting for Felix for days.  
"Felix Hammervan." He growled. "You should never have come here."  
Felix recoiled at his full name. "Who are you?" He asked shakily.  
"A survivor, a victim tortured by the demons that now walk the mortal world." He replied.  
A hiss echoed through the carriage, definitely not friendly. Felix resisted the urge to scramble out as fast as he could.  
"You don't have much time, Hammervan." The man growled. "The demons are very difficult to fight and even more difficult to understand. The only way to win is to -" A metallic sound whizzed through the air. A razor-sharp shuriken had embedded itself in the wall, narrowly missing Felix.  
"No one spills our secrets." A voice ordered from behind. Felix turned and face-to-face with another demon, one with a skeletal body, hands and no eyes, but his face was that of human rag doll, stitches trailing across his face and over his eyes. In his skeletal hands he held an array of throwing stars, all gleaming in the moonlight. Shadowy vapor swirled around his lower body.  
Felix drew his hammer but didn't like odds. He was fighting alone against a creature from a nightmare.  
"Ah, brave little Felix." The demon said, his mouth unmoving but his voice echoing in the carriage. "Trying to discover something about us? I'm afraid that's not an option." He threw three shuriken stars at Felix in quick succession, each just piercing his skin as they flew by. Felix winced as he saw hs own blood leak out from cuts in his arms and his left leg. The demon laughed, a sound that was similar to glass being pierced. "Ah yes, the liquid of life." He said, satisfied. "I enjoy seeing it fall from the unworthy."  
Felix threw his hammer in a quick move, fueled by anger. Who was this demon to say he was unworthy to be alive? The hammer went through the demon's right hand, not hurting the demon but scattering his shurikens in all directions. The demon turned to Felix, a growl emanating around the room.  
"If I were you, I'd watch my mouth." Felix said. The demon growled and threw his other shurikens at him, but Felix ducked this time. Unfortunately, the demon wasn't aiming at him, but to the tied man behind him, killing him instantly.  
"Neuken!" Felix shouted, which was about the worst thing he could say in his native Dutch. The man who might have contained the answers to the demons was dead, his body slumped forward and blood staining his jacket. The demon laughed again with pleasure.  
"There, problem solved." He said proudly, then melted through the floor of the carriage before Felix could charge at him.  
Felix cursed and furiously punched at one of the broken crates. He had been so close to getting some answers, and the demon had shown up and ruined it all. "Fine then, you hideous rag doll." He muttered, as if the demon was still in front of him. "But I will find out what's going on, I promise you on that." He left the carriage through it's broken roof and jumped back onto the platform. Bilic and Valge had finally shown up, both staring at him in surprise and shock.  
"What?" Felix asked, then looked at himself and realized he was covered in blood and dust. "This? I'll explain, but we have to move, now."

* * *

**End of chapter 5.**

**These next 3 chapters will be one for each group as they attempt to unravel the demons' secrets. Will they succeed? **

**Until next time, it's Para-Zackovic, it's been an honor.**


	6. Chapter 6: Torn Inside

**Chapter 6: Torn Inside**

Ms Mowz, Elise and Riley came to a stop on the far north of Rougeport. After running through dense and industrial-age neighborhoods, something Ms Mowz had never noticed about Northern Rougeport, they had come to stop in front of a massive wall.  
"The back wall of Rougeport." Ms Mowz breathed. The wall was seventy-five feet high, the tallest object in all of Rougeport and visible from the sea, with an array of statues and flagpoles at the top and decorated with various sketches and artwork showing the history of Rougeport. The wall itself was built out of slick concrete, completely smooth, leaving no holds for climbing.  
Ms Mowz wasn't so interested in the wall itself, but as soon as she, Elise and Riley had been out of earshot of their friends, a message had appeared in a building's wall, telling them to scale the North Wall, where they would find something vital in their quest to defeat the demons.  
Ms Mowz considered it more of a mission, and she didn't trust the message, considering it had formed out of blood that leaked through cracks in the wall, but it was a lead, it was worth following.  
"How do we scale this?" She asked. She was pretty sure she could do it on her own, and Riley could use his chain as a grappling hook to certain areas, but she didn't know how Elise could get up.  
Elise smirked. "Not an issue." She said. She reached into her coat pocket and took out two black gloves with Yellow X's imprinted on them. The gloves had razor-sharp fingertips. Elise slid them on her hands and flicked her wrists a few times. She then jumped onto the wall, the fingertips digging into the wall like it was made of wet clay. She slowly started to climb upwards.  
"See you at the top." She said.  
Ms Mowz nodded, then whistled to Riley. She jumped up as high as she could, kicked off the North Wall and landed on the roof of the closest house, it's roof a neatly arranged grip of red, slanting tiles. Riley bounced up next to her.  
"Now let's get to the top." Ms Mowz said. She unlatched Riley's chain and wrapped it around her knife. It was only fifteen metres long, but it would give Ms Mowz a little less climbing to do. "Wait here." She instructed Riley. She threw her knife as far up as she could, holding the end of the chain in her other hand. The knife lodged itself in the wall about twenty-five metres off the ground. Clearly, there was going to be a lot of climbing work to be done. She pulled out a second knife that she had snatched from a nearby house and set to work.

* * *

Elise was now almost forty feet off the ground, still climbing, digging her gloves into the wall every time she pulled herself upwards. Years of mountain and urban climbing experience circulated in her mind, giving her motivation to keep climbing.  
'The most important part is to not look down.' Elise thought. She didn't have a fear for heights, but the advice had always worked for the better.

* * *

Ms Mowz was soon very close to Elise as they continued scaling the wall. By now, she was about fifty feet off the ground. She fought the urge to look down and see if demons were following the two of them.  
"So far so good." She muttered. She continued climbing, pulling one of her knives out of the wall and stabbing it into a higher section of the wall every time. She felt exhausted, not just from the climbing but from everything that had happened since she had woken up in her room. The tattoo still burned on her arm, hurting every time she moved her right arm to climb.  
'What are we going to do, even if we can find any clues?' She thought. She glanced up. The top of the wall was now only fifteen feet away.  
"No point in giving up now." She said, continuing to climb. Every muscle in her arms were straining now, but she refused to give up, physically and mentally. She was going to find out what those demons were planning.

Ms Mowz got to the top of the wall and tried to catch her breath. Elise was crouched on the top of the wall, clutching the flagpole with her left arm, her blank-streaked blond hair glowing in the wind. She didn't look tired, even after climbing seventy five feet.  
"We're here." Ms Mowz panted. "Now what?"  
"I have a feeling we should wait and see." Elise replied, her eyes fixated on the horizon. Below them, the sea glittered in the presence of the moonlight, the full moon shining more brightly through the mess of clouds in the sky. Thunder boomed somewhere in the distance, but everything seemed so calm.  
'The calm before the storm.' Ms Mowz thought grimly. She waited, wiping her knife blades against one of the lowered flags. She was right next to a slate statue of a Chain Chomp lunging at an enemy Koopa, and she remembered when Riley had pounced on Bilic at the Inn. Only then, Riley had done it out of affection, not in an actual battle.  
A strange thought swirled inside her mind as she looked at the statue. Could Bilic be an enemy? He seemed very dark, not just in his choice of attire, very focused on working everything in his way, and he always seemed locked in thought.  
Ms Mowz tried to get the idea out of her head. Bilic couldn't be an enemy, the idea was insane. She was sure that was something the demons might want her to think. But the thought stuck in her mind, like it was a warning, but Ms Mowz doubted it.  
'It's just my stupid imagination. All those years of paranoia as a badge thief.' She thought. She tried to relax, letting the cool sea breeze wash over her.

* * *

Elise kept her gaze on the horizon, trying to suppress a feeling of worry. She remembered the last time she had gotten so worried, and the consequences. She shuddered in the memory.  
"Keep it together." She whispered to herself.  
"Elise, do you think this is a trap?" Ms Mowz asked suddenly.  
Elise shrugged. The breeze from the wind had started to grow stronger. Something inside Elise tensed.  
"Elise! Behind you!" Ms Mowz screamed.  
Elsie whirled around and ducked, barely avoiding a slash from a whizzing scythe blade, which went straight by her and dug into a statue of a Yoshi behind her, slicing the statue's arm off. She got up and faced what had attacked her, only to come face-to-face with another demon. Elise gasped. The demon was floating in the air, covered in torn black robes, skeletal arms tense, telepathically withdrawing his scythe out of the ruined statue, extremely pale skin on what skin he still had on the rest of his body, his red eyes glowing devilishly from behind the shadows of his hood. His teeth were massive, the top teeth, covering his lower lip a curving into deadly sharp points.  
Elise filled up with rage. She was facing the same demon that had attacked her when she tried to wake her brother, before forcing her to kill her own sibling.  
"You vile monster." She growled at the demon.  
The demon smirked in amusement. "Hello again, Elise. And this monster has a name, I remind you."  
Elise recalled his name. "Jarost." She seethed. "You set us up. You made us walk right into a trap."  
"Indeed. And I actually thought you'd be smarter than this." He taunted. "But alas, I need to bring you down. Sadly for you, there was a mistake in our foretelling. You are of no use to us. But your mouse friend, I shall take her and her soul with me. The mistress will be quite pleased."  
Ms Mowz gasped. Elise stepped sideways, separating Ms Mowz from the demon.  
"No, you're not going to take her with you." She growled. "And I don't care if I'm not required for any of your sacrifices or whatever you had in mind. You should just run back to your mistress and tell her that she'll never succeed in whatever she has in mind."  
Jarost laughed. "Ah, such defiance and ignorance. What you don't know, dear girl, is that we're already succeeding." He swung his scythe at Elise in lightning-fast swipes. Elise managed to avoid the swings and tried to stab her spike-tipped gloves through Jarost's throat. Jarost's neck vaporized, while he himself clicked his tongue disapprovingly. his neck reformed, trapping Elise's arm in his neck.  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He chided. "I would have thought you knew by now that we can't be touched." He gripped his scythe. "Farewell, Elise." He swung the flat side of the blade at Elise's head, sending her off balance and falling off the edge of the wall.  
"Elise!" Ms Mowz screamed helplessly.

The side of Elise's head was hurting right where Jarost's blade had hit her as she fell seventy-five feet to certain death. 'No, I'm not going to let them win.'  
She dived towards the wall and dug her claws into the concrete. A painful jolt shot through her body as she came to a sudden stop, suspended just four feet off the ground. If she had reacted any later, she wouldn't have been able to stop in time. She looked up helplessly. Ms Mowz was on her own in front of Jarost, slowly trying to back up from the advancing demon.

Ms Mowz had backed up into a dead end. Behind her, the top of the Northern Wall dropped off thirty feet below, and Jarost kept approaching her, slowly relishing his victory.  
"The mistress will be quite pleased to see you." He whispered menacingly, every word chilling Ms Mowz. "She didn't say you had to be brought back alive, though. But she does want your soul, and would very much like to see your blood spilled in front of the Doors of Midnight." He raised his scythe into the air. "Mowz! Jump!" Elise shouted from below.  
Ms Mowz knew she had no choice, but still hesitated.  
"What's the matter, Maria?" Jarost said with false sympathy. Ms Mowz shuddered at the sound of her original name. "You realize your playing a losing game? If you surrender to me now, I will spare you your grave consequences. Your friends might even survive our wrath. They will be tortured, perhaps driven insane by what will happen, but they will survive. Especially the white one."  
"V...Valge?" Ms Mowz stuttered.  
"Ah yes, Valge." He said. "I offered him a chance to escape his doom two years ago. He refused. Now, if you continue to resist, he will surely die."  
"Mowz, what are you waiting for?" Elise called from below.  
Ms Mowz slowly walked towards Jarost, her body being forced to surrender while her mind struggled to choose her fate. "Yes, this is good, just a little closer." Jarost encouraged.  
Ms Mowz slowly reached forward to Jarost's hand, but recoiled, eyes shut.  
"No, I can't give in." She muttered weakly. She could feel Jarost influence her mind, the same way he had with Elise, forcing her to give in. She was torn between her two choices, but she knew what she had to do. "I can't leave the others."  
"What do you see in them?" Jarost hissed. "They are only going to drag you down, and you will all die eventually. Do you think it is worth delaying the obvious for the sake of false hope? Surrender yourself to me immediately, or I may reconsider sparing you of your torture."  
Ms Mowz could feel tears building in her eyes. Jarost had played his words to perfection. Ms Mowz felt hopeless.  
'No, these thoughts aren't yours. You're being influenced.' She told herself. She pulled herself away from Jarost.  
"I won't give in to you." She said, drained from her internal struggling.  
Jarost gritted his teeth. "Fine, I shall take it by force." The storm clouds seemed to swirl above his raised scythe, rapidly spinning in a vortex. A bolt of lightning streaked through the sky as he brought his scythe down. A blast of uncontrolled energy burst through the concrete, causing a miniature explosion and forcing parts of the wall to shatter into millions of fragments. Ms Mowz was blown back by the blast, then found herself falling through the air, falling to the ground towards her own doom.  
Jarost had reformed ten feet off the ground, his scythe raised, ready to slice Ms Mowz in half. Ms Mowz closed her eyes, accepting her fate, when another force collided with her, carrying her sideways. She crashed onto the flat roof of another house, scraping herself against the hard, uneven cement. She laid still, unable to muster enough energy left to even open her eyes

Elise had flooded with relief when she had seen Riley jump and knock Ms Mowz onto the rooftop. Jarost bellowed with anger, lightning flashing across the sky.  
"This is an outrage!" He roared in anger. "I will let you all survive for now, but your destinies are sealed. You will all fall before the Doors of Midnight." Lightning flashed across the sky so violently, it temporarily blinded Elise. When her vision cleared, Jarost had vanished, his threat hanging in the air. Dust and debris rained down on Elise, but she hardly noticed.  
"We'll see who gets the last laugh." She muttered defiantly. "You won't get away for killing my brother."  
Riley barked from the rooftop. Elise's emotions quickly switched from anger to worry. She immediately started climbing the wall of the building Riley and Ms Mowz were on. When she reached the top, she bent down alongside Ms Mowz, who wasn't moving.  
"Mowz! Are you alright?" She called, trying to rouse Ms Mowz. Ms Mowz's eyes remained closed. Elise desperately fought down her increasing worries, forcing them down by reminding herself of what had happened in the past. She hated those memories, but it was all she had to prevent herself from from panicking.  
She turned Ms Mowz over and made a thorough check on her. She wasn't breathing, her arm and chest had been cut open in various areas and were slowly dripping blood and her tattoo was glowing a deep crimson.  
Elise fought down the urge to lose control of herself and took out a small pouch from her coat. Jainen had given each group a small first-aid kit before they had split up, and Elise furiously set to work with her provisions. She gently wrapped up Ms Mowz's cuts and leaned back, trying to give Ms Mowz have some breathing room.

* * *

Slowly, Ms Mowz opened her eyes weakly, and she saw Elise collapse with relief, tears in her eyes.  
"You're alive." She said.  
"Barely." Ms Mowz rasped. She noticed her glowing tattoo. Her incident with Jarost flashed through her mind. She winced in the memory, trying to stem her growing fears. Jarost had mentioned the Doors of Midnight. It was one clue to the puzzle.  
"Do you know anything about the Doors of Midnight?" She asked.  
Elise shook her head. "Never heard of it. Why? I heard Jarost mention it, but I don't know anything about it."  
Ms Mowz nodded, shivering. She felt weak and powerless, feeling that she couldn't do anything. She was more worried than ever about herself and her friends. How would they be able to survive? The demons were much more powerful and knowledgable than they were. Jarost had even known her real name, something that no one else but Ms Mowz knew. "Elise, I need to tell you what happened up on the top." She said.

**End of Chapter 6.**

* * *

**A/N: No, Maria is not Ms Mowz's real name, but it seemed pretty suitable. I created the idea for my friend, who will probably use the idea soon. This chapter was the hardest to write yet, so I hoped you enjoyed it, because it really sapped a lot of energy. Don't be afraid to lend constructive criticism.**

**Until next time, Para Zackovic.**


	7. Chapter 7: Split Apart

**Sorry I dropped off FFN for two weeks, but I had too much homework, constant headaches and the dreaded writer's block. Nonetheless, please enjoy and review, because this chapter took a lot out of me, again. (Longest Chapter on record for me: 3k+ words, excluding A/N's.)**

**Chapter 7: Split Apart**

_Day 3: Wound up in Rougeport again, under less than pleasant circumstances. Apparently the entire town, and I think even the entire world has been trapped in darkness. Me and some others have been cursed by a group of demons, which I think is what allows us to stay awake. We supposedly have a role to play for the demons and their plot, but we have to stop them. We just don't know how. Everything is so vague I want to cause a tornado out of frustration. I just don't know what to do._

Sky shut his journal and it instantly vanished into the air, wisps blowing away in the wind. He, Jane and Sharp had taken the far east side of Rougeport, and as Sky recounted, the east side was still as shanty as ever. Clusters of old and run-down houses filled the area, a mix of small streets all looking the same, with various, dark canals cutting through the streets every once in a while, with bridges hung over them.  
"So Sky, you were saying you live somewhere on the west side?" Sharp asked.  
"Only on occasion." Sky answered. "I move around a lot, and I do a lot of mining. You guys may not know of it, but there's a tunnel quite deep in the sewers that serves as a passage to Minecraftia, the world of Minecraft. I do quite a bit of work there, especially with my pal Spike." Sky sighed. Spike would have been much better at solving the problem ahead, and he was more suited for combat. Sky was also worried that his friends would discover his weakness, something he couldn't show anyone, it felt too horrible. "We were great mining pals." Sky muttered sadly. "I remember when he found a cavern of diamonds, I could almost see the dollar signs behing his sunglasses." Jane and Sharp each gave out a light laugh, mostly to lift Sky's spirit. "What about you, Sharp?" Sky asked as they walked over a canal, the wooden planks of the bridge creaking below their weight. "No one just stumbles into Rougeport without a reason."  
"Oh, I had to get away from Sarasaland for a while." Sharp said. "I was originally going to visit Poshley Heights, but that's not going to happen now."  
Sky nodded.  
"So what are we here to look for?" Jane asked. She had kept quiet for most of the conversation. She looked at Sky, her blue eyes shining in the hazy moonlight.  
Sky concentrated, relaxing his body, as he channelled the wind. A curl of wind solidified in his hand, turning into a map of Rougeport, slightly weathered but very much intact.  
Jane's eyes widened. "That's an ancient map of Rougeport!" She gasped. "In this condition, it should be a museum piece."  
"I agree." Sky said. "But we need it." He pointed to a drawing on the map. " I have had an experience with some demons before, and apparently, they like to meet and keep some information in religious places."  
Jane coughed in surprise. "What?!"  
"Yeah, demons like to mock religion." Sky explained. "Supposedly to tell believers that their god won't spare them, or other things like that."  
"Pretty disrespectful." Sharp noted.  
"At any rate, there was one spot here in the east, the ancient Rougeport Cathedral."  
Sharp frowned (as much as a Pokey could). "I thought it was just a myth."  
"It's much more than that." Jane said. "It's like the Thousand-Year Door that Mario discovered a few years ago."  
"Heard that story." Sky muttered.  
"Anyways, it's said to have been demolished five centuries ago, but many people have been convinced that at least part of it has survived." Jane continued.  
Sharp laughed nervously. "Like what? It moved underground?"  
Sky stopped in his tracks. "Did you just say underground?" He said, turning to Sharp.  
"Yeah, but isn't that sort of fantastical?" Sharp asked.  
"Not unless you've lived like me." Sky said. "I've seen stuff you and even myself would not believe."  
"It does make sense, somehow." Jane said. "But where could it be?"  
No one knew how to answer that. They continued walking.  
"At least we have a clue on where to start looking." Sharp said, trying to be optimistic.  
Sky scoffed. "Have you seen the underground of Rougeport before? It's a bloody rat's maze."  
Suddenly, Sky stopped and tensed.  
"What is it?" Jane asked.  
Sky could sense it in the wind. "We're being followed by someone."  
"Demon?" Sharp asked.  
"Definitely." Sky replied, drawing his rod, which turned into a five-foot spear. Jane and Sharp backed up to his side, tensing for battle.  
A scraping foot drew their attention. They turned to one of the alleyways, where another demon emerged from the shadows.  
"Hello there, Sky, Jane and Sharp." He said in a wheezing, raspy voice. He didn't sound evil, but he didn't look friendly either, covered in black robes that shrouded his face and body, two swords with blackened blades in his hands.  
"Looking for the cathedral? Pah. It's nothing but a myth." He said.  
"Says you!" Sharp retorted.  
Sky tensed, shifting his center of balance. Something about this demon seemed familiar to him.  
"Who are you?" He asked.  
The demon didn't show any sign of surprise or mockery. "I believe I've seen you somewhere before, Sky Yoshi, and I think you know my name." He said simply.  
Sky hesitated, trying to grip his spear even tighter. The name came back to him, along with the memories.  
"The demon of summoning, Klicanje." Sky said.  
The demon nodded. "It's nice to see someone who remembers me. Sadly, I have orders to kill you." Klicanje raised his blades upwards, and a tremor went through the ground.  
"What the-?"Sharp shouted.  
Twelve shadowy figures emerged from the ground, slowly forming into shape. Sky's eyes widened as the figures took shape. They were humanoid, with lifeless gray skin splattered with blood, empty, glassy eyes, agape mouths, extended arms, torn clothing and an incoherent moaning escaping their throats.  
"Z...Zombies!" Jane cried.  
"Why are all these myths coming to life?!" Sharp shouted.  
The dozen zombies turned towards the trio, their necks snapping and their moan growing deeper and angrier, sensing prey.  
Sky stepped back a few paces, sweat dripping down his forehead. He whirled his spear over his head and stabbed at the nearest zombie, impaling it through the throat. Sky cursed. He had aimed for the eye, which would have let straight into the zombie's brain, the only way to kill a zombie.  
The impaled zombie grabbed the spear's hilt and pulled it, pulling Sky closer to it's outstretched arms. It's fingers were inches from Sky's arms when Sharp threw himself at the zombie, slamming his spiky head into the side of the zombie's head, killing it instantly.  
"Run, you guys!" He ordered. "They can't sense me, but they're going to come after you!" He slammed himself into another zombie, bring it down as a bloodless, dead corpse. "I'll catch up, I promise!"  
"We can't leave you! You'll be at the mercy of the demon!" Jane shouted.  
Sky scanned the area, but Klicanje had mysteriously disappeared. More zombies started to form from the ground, equally hideous to the others. Klicanje had slipped off, leaving Sky nervous and confused.  
"Sky! Go!" Sharp shouted, swinging into two zombie simultaneously, killing them both at once. "I'll be able to hold these guys off, but their numbers are growing!" More zombies kept shambling forwards, but only seemed to be targeting Sky and Jane.  
The increasing moans snapped Sky to his senses. He nodded firmly at Sharp, then grabbed Jane's arm and ran, heading back west.

* * *

Plenty of thoughts ran through Jane's mind as she ran behind Sky, struggling to keep up with him. How had Sky known about the demon? How had he heard of the Rougeport Cathedral? And did the cathedral even exist? Could it be possible that Sky was an outsider?  
She was also worried about Sharp. They'd left him alone with an ever growing number of zombies, even though he claimed they weren't going to attack him.  
Sky skidded down one street, Jane following. Puddles splashed under their feet and litter caused them to sidestep once in a while, but they kept running.  
"Jane, hurry up!" Sky called.  
Jane put in a burst of speed, and caught up to Sky, who suddenly stopped, arm outstretched to stop her. They were on the edge of a canal, but the water had receded to just a few puddles and a shallow stream below them, remnants of slime and sewage lining the walls and the floor of the canal.  
"What is it?" Jane asked, looking at Sky's nervous expression.  
Sky gave her a look that clearly told her to stay quiet. He twisted his center of balance and aimed his spear at the nearest building, a collapsing, run-down house surrounded by similar counterparts. Jane could hear him breathe heavily.  
"Something else is chasing us." He said.  
"More demons?" Jane asked. When Sky kept silent, she scowled. "And how do you know so much about these demons or the cathedral? Are you with us or against us?"  
"Don't jump to conclusions." Sky snapped, raising his arm and showing Jane his tattoo. "Does this tattoo not say enough?"  
Before Jane could say anything, apology or not, eight shadow tentacles shot out from the nearest house and lunged at Sky and Jane. Completely off guard, Jane was propelled into the empty canal, hitting the slick concrete at the bottom back-first with a jolt of sheer pain. Through her blurry vision, she saw Sky struggle against five tentacles that wrapped around his arms and legs.  
"Jane!" He called, his voice echoing in Jane's head. Jane's head was heavy and the world seemed fractured to her, but she shakily got up to her feet.  
"Jane, find the cathedral! Now!" Sky yelled.  
Jane couldn't leave Sky alone at the mercy of the tentacles, but she had no choice. Unarmed and dizzy, she ran to her right and hurried through the empty canal.

Jane had barely run a hundred metres when a massive explosion and a blast of white light flashed from behind her, right where Sky had been fighting the shadows.  
"Sky!" She screamed desperately. Fearing the worst, Jane ran back, then stopped herself. Even if she went back, she had no weapons or clear plan. Reluctantly, she turned back, heading away from explosion.  
"Find the cathedral." She repeated to herself, holding back her emotions. If she broke down now, she wouldn't be helping anyone, especially not Sky and Sharp.

Soon, she found herself right under an arched, stone bridge, dark shadows forming underneath it, repelling and dark.  
"Seems like a place someone might hide something." She said. She took a step into the shadows, then pulled her foot back. Beyond her foot was no solid ground, just emptiness.  
Rustling sounds came from behind her. Jane turned and saw six of the eight shadow tentacles snaking down the walls of the canal, trailing shadows and blood along with them. Jane took a breath and fled into the shadows, falling through empty air when she did. Jane felt herself go into free fall, then hit a concrete floor below her, buckling to her knees and falling to her stomach. She got up to her feet, her ankles and hands burning with pain. She was in a dark tunnel with an arched roof that was wide enough for three people. She could hardly make out the outline of the walls, but could see a flickering light in the distance.  
Without a plan, she ran for the light.

Soon, she had found herself underneath a chain of old lights, each one flickering and creating ghostly shadows that kept vanishing and disappearing. She stopped suddenly. In front of her, the rest of the tunnel was blocked by a wooden barricade, a hastily constructed wall of wooden planks that were nailed in tightly by large nails.  
Frantically, Jane searched her surrounding. Her eyes fixated on a red metal box hanging from the wall next to her left. She tore the box's cover open and looked inside. A long, steel axe, more of a farming tool than a weapon, lay inside, it's steel blade dull in color but still quite sharp.  
"How convenient." She said, but hesitated to pick it up. If everything that had been going on was influenced by the demons, how did she know if this wasn't a trap?  
She turned to face the tunnel she had come from, and could see the six tentacles trailing after her, appearing, disappearing then reappearing in the flickering lights, still trailing blood behind them, with puddles of the red liquid trickling across the floor towards Jane's feet.  
Jane shoved aside her fears and grabbed the axe.  
'Enough is enough.' She thought, staring at the closing tentacles. She stood tense, waiting for the tentacles to make the first strike.  
"Well, what are you waiting for?" She snarled.  
The tentacles lashed out at her. She swung the axe at every tentacles that struck at her, slashing the tips of the tentacles and letting them disintegrate into the shadows behind her. One tentacles wrapped around her ankle, while the others tried to grab at her arms.  
"Back off!" She shouted at the tentacles, a wild edge in her voice. She lashed out with her free foot and kicked at one of the tentacles, causing it to lose it's grip on her axe. The rest of the tentacles were unable to hold onto the axe's handle as jane grabbed it back and swung viciously at the other tentacles, cutting them in a perfectly straight line down the middle. She brought her axe down on the tentacles that wrapped around her foot with so much anger the axe went through the concrete floor. The tentacles squirmed in pain and then receded into the shadows.

Jane tried to calm herself down when they were gone, her breathing as rapid as the flickering of the lights. She pulled the axe from the ground and swung it at the wooden barricade. The blade cut easily through the old wood, but her arms were weak from the encounter with the tentacles. Not that the axe was the lightest object she had ever carried either. She swung the axe with one last effort, causing the remaining wood and sawdust to rain down. She dropped the axe and panted with exhaustion. It had seemed like just a matter of minutes since she had been split from Sharp, then Sky, then had found herself where she was now.  
"What can go wrong now?" She thought out loud, too tired to hold back the thought. She walked past the broken barricade and further into the darkness.

After minutes that seemed endless in the darkness, Jane found herself in a circular room, with oil lamps hanging on the walls, and in front of her was a polished wooden staircase that spiralled upwards. The stair's railing was detailed with crosses, causing Jane to gasp.  
"This is it." She breathed. "The Rougeport Cathedral." She quickly climbed the staircases, being light on her feet to stay silent. At the top of the staircase, she went through an old wooden door decorated with crosses and lined with bronze details and stopped, looking around in awe.  
She was inside the cathedral,at the far end of it, the massive main hall's floor lined with wooden benches on her left and her right as she walked down the middle on a carpet of red velvet. The walls around her were a combination of polished concrete and marble, with beautiful statues and astonishing stained-glass windows drawing her eyes away. She passed private chapels and rows of benches, eventually stopping in the middle of the church, right below a massive dome forty feet above her, supported by ivory pillars that gleamed in the multicolored rays of light that shone through the stained glass. But when she turned right, her eyes were stolen again. In front of her was the high altar of the cathedral, beautifully detailed with gold lining and rising up towards the ceiling, with a life-sized crucifix at it's base.  
"This is unbelievable." She said in awe. Despite her worries for Sharp and Sky, she couldn't help but marvel at the cathedral's architecture and beauty.  
"But how could this have just disappeared?" She asked herself. "This is enormous, and I'm standing in it!"  
"It's normally hidden from normal eyes." A cold voice said angrily from behind her, sending chills down her spine. "And that includes you, Jane."  
Jane closed her eyes, willing herself from turning around. She had had enough of being pushed around by these demons.  
"Then tell me." She said. "Why is it so important to you that this place stays hidden?"  
The cold voice growled menacingly, but Jane shut her eyes tighter. "This place was built on forbidden grounds, built to honor some pathetic religion. Pah." The voice explained, anger clear in the tone. "No religion can protect the foolish souls who chose to follow it, for we are not bound by the beliefs of the weak. This building, this waste, was built over us, shunning my brethren and our powers below some lowly made-up belief. But since this was built on our land, we destroyed it, then hid it and resurrected it as a meeting point for us."  
Jane tried to absorb all the information. The demons had torn this place down then rebuilt it as a hidden meeting place? It seemed mad, but Jane could believe it.  
"So now what? What are you going to do with me? And what have you done with my friends?" Jane asked.  
"The answer to that question is simple." The voice said. "You and your friends must die."  
A cold wind blew across the open cathedral, and Jane felt the world fade, falling into the inky blackness of the dark. She didn't scream, nor resist, as she felt the darkness wrap around her body, pulling her into it's cold grasp.

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**End of Chapter 8.**

**A/N: I did not mean to offend anyone religiously, but this was an idea that I felt was too good to resist, and it helped to portray the demons in my opinion. The idea was a combination of the 'Devil In A Midnight Mass' music video and the rest was done with the help of Koopakevic, a Roman Catholic in his own right. However, I do respect other religions and again apologize, just in case.**  
**Enough rambling. Until next time, -Zackovic.**


	8. Chapter 8: Horrifying Fortelling

**Sorry, for the really long wait (One month), but exams rolled around and I had to scrap FFN for a while. Since then, it's taken me some time to get re-integrated, especially with forming my YouTube and DeviantArt accounts as well as trying desperately to contribute to the Brony Fandom, but I'm back. Now enough yammering, enjoy and please leave a review.**

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**Chapter 8: Horrifying Fortelling**

For the hundredth time, Jainen asked himself why he had to be stuck with his team.  
As he walked south towards Rougeport's docks, he let himself be lost in thought, just remembering his days as a student back at Mushroom Medic.  
"Certainly was better than now." He muttered. "All I see here are demons, an hybrid and an overconfident show-off."  
"And then I left a blazing punch. And boy, did he need an ice-pack after that." Dragon Blazer boasted, referring to some random match he had had some time ago in the Glitz Pit.  
Jainen rolled his eyes as he approached the docks. Apart from the gently crashing waves, everything felt peaceful. Wooden crates sat neatly away from the water, while a stone pier stretched to the ocean, the waves rippling in the moonlight.  
Jainen sat down on the pier, watching the moon as clouds came and went in the night's wind. He knew he should have been searching for clues, but he felt reluctant to do so. Trying to talk to Valge, who had become unusually secretive and withdrawn since he had last seen him, and being paired up with Dragon Blazer and Violent Jo was beyond his capability, particularly with Dragon Blazer's pride.  
"His ego's bigger than the Mushroom Kingdom." Jainen muttered into his hands so that no one could hear.  
"Oh, and there was this one time where I had to invade King Bowser's castle, and boy, I thought that thing was fireproof!" Dragon Blazer was proclaiming from afar. "After all, Bowser himself breathes fire, so I would've thought it could withstand my flames, but boy, I was proven wrong!"  
Jainen groaned and hit his head against one of the wooden poles next to him. He was starting to grow sick of Dragon Blazer, it had been growing ever since they first met eyes, but Jainen didn't tell anyone about it. And Dragon Blazer's ridiculous stories weren't helping either. Jainen wanted to think it was just a clash of elements, after all, he was an Ice Brother and Dragon Blazer wielded fire, but it felt worse than just elemental rivalry. It felt like...some kind of bitter history, something that couldn't be forgiven. To Jainen, it felt like a war that had never been settled.  
Nervous scrapes drew Jainen's attention. Violent Jo was standing aside on her own, scraping her feet against the ground in rhythmic patterns. Jainen had pretty much forgotten about her. She had been so quiet he kept mistaking her for not being there. She seemed unstable, but she was doing her best to hide it.  
A gentle ripple went up the pier. Jainen peered through the cracks in the planked floors. Something drifted in the dark, murky waters below, but Jainen couldn't make out what it was.  
Reluctantly, he drew a breath and pointed his finger at the moving ripples. A cold breeze drifted through the air, growing colder as he tightened his concentration. A shot of crystal-white energy shot from his hand and wrapped itself around the moving ripple, freezing it solid. Jainen flexed his hand, and the frozen object floated up towards him, before gently placing it down in front of him.  
Jainen allowed himself to smile faintly. He didn't like practicing his Ice abilities, but the was plenty capable of using them.  
He turned his attention to the frozen object. It was sharp, thin a jagged, much like a frozen two-dimensional lightning bolt, frozen into a dark blue hue.  
Jainen mulled over the frozen bolt, trying to identify it, but he couldn't make anything out of it. He touched it and allowed it to melt, slowly turning into the ocean water it once was, until all that was left was a paper-thin puddle of inky blackness.  
Jainen raised his eyes, his mind trying to figure out what was in frint of him, if it was anything important. Every sound, from the waves to Dragon Blazer's voice, seemed to fade as he focused on the puddle of black.  
"What could you possibly be?" He mused.  
The flat puddle started to peel off the plank, breaking apart on the sides and warping into more realistic figures. Jainen could identify four Koopa-esque figures, three humanoids, a Yoshi, a Toad, a Squeek, a Pokey and a Chain Chomp.  
An understanding came to Jainen with a shock. He quickly counted the figures. Twelve. The same as himself and his friends. The figures warped again, this time changing into twelve identical spheres, shuffling themselves in such a way that Jainen couldn't even try to keep track of them, before arranging themselves in a straight line.  
"Okay..." Jainen said uncertainly. The twelve figures started to vibrate, then six of them started to bubble, then melted into their liquid state, dripping through the cracks in the planks.  
Jainen blinked, unable to speak. Fear and angst started to fill his heart. He didn't know where this strange puddle of blackness had come from, but he could understand one thing, something he was too afraid to think about.  
Six people were going to die.  
He got up and stumbled backwards, desperate to get away from the blackness that was undeniably a product of the demons. He tried to fight it, but he knew, somehow, deep down, that him or six of his of his new friends were going to die at the hands of the demons. He turned and started to run, but he stopped short when a hand grabbed him and pulled him back. For a moment, Jainen was gripped by panic, fearing the worst.  
"Where the heck are you running to?" Dragon Blazer's voice said with a hint of mockery.  
Jainen's fear turned stale and morphed into something else: A mix of confusion and anger.  
"Nowhere." Jainen muttered.  
"That's a relief." Dragon Blazer said, obviously not relieved. "We were supposed to stay here and look for clues. I think running away doesn't find any clues."  
Jainen pushed Dragon Blazer's hand off his shoulder, starting to grow angry.  
"Yeah? Well then, what were you up to?" Jainen shot back. "All I see you do is brag about your adventures, which are probably just a work of your imagination. If you've forgotten -" He mimicked Dragon Blazer's voice. "- we were supposed to stay here and look for clues."  
Dragon Blazer's face started to show a hint of irritation. "You better watch your mouth, ice boy." He said angrily, grabbing Jainen by his satchel. "My adventures are more real than you think."  
"Proof?" Jainen said, expression rock-hard.  
"You want proof?! Just keep me going and you'll end up as a pile of water." Dragon Blazer growled, his eyes and gloves starting to glow violently.  
"I'll just turn into water, which will douse you in return!" Jainen taunted angrily.  
Dragon Blazer's entire body erupted into flames, leaving only his hands and feet at the ends of a blazing inferno.  
"Would you like to tempt your fate?!" He yelled demonically.  
Before either of them could react, both were blown off their feet by an electrical jolt that shocked them to their hearts.  
Jainen hit the ground and immediately started gasping for breath, his body contorted from the lack of oxygen. His vision was blurry and his head felt like an anvil, and he had to use all his remaining energy just to sit up.  
"Stop it!" Jo yelled. Jainen had forgotten she was even there, again. Now, her purple eyes were glowing in a neonic fuchsia, their glow not hiding her anger. Her eyes faded and the makeshift force field that had blown Jainen back subsided with a barely audible warble.  
"Jo? You did that?" Dragon Blazer said in astonishment, his body now normal and already standing up. Jo tried to shy away, brushing her hair backwards. She nodded lightly, the anger in her eyes fading.  
"Wow. Maybe you're not as weak as I thought." Dragon Blazer said.  
Jainen scowled, ready to strangle Dragon Blazer by the neck. He had had enough, and he hadn't even been around the fire elementalist for a full day.  
'This feeling of anger isn't normal.' He thought through his hazy wave of anger.  
Jo didn't seem offended by the comment. "It was nothing." She muttered, before her face turned hard. "But the two of you need to get along. I know you guys are at the opposite of the element scale, but we've already got plenty of enemies to contend with. You guys don't need one more."  
Jainen exhaled nasally, angered but guilty. He knew deep down that she was right, but something in the back of his mind wouldn't agree. Whatever subconscious grudge he was somehow holding, it wouldn't fade, not easily, in the least.  
"You're right." He muttered. "I'm sorry." He got up, painfully, and made his way back to his friends. He looked Dragon Blazer in the eyes and tried to hide his confusing inner hatred. He extended his hand.  
"Sorry." He said.  
Dragon Blazer was reluctant to return the gesture.  
"Forget it." He said, turning his back. "I don't need to apologize to the likes of you."  
Jainen could barely feel his jaw drop in shock. He turned to Jo with a perplexed, raising his hands then pointing to Dragon Blazer. Jo just shrugged and rolled her eyes. Jainen could read her eyes better than words could have explained.  
'Just forget it. There's no point in starting another fight.'  
Jainen sighed and dropped his shoulders in frustration. But when he thought about the sign that he had seen, how six of them were going to die, his anger turned into fear.  
"Jo." He said, clearing his throat. "I have something important to tell you. I have to tell everyone."  
Jo raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"  
Before Jainen could tell Jo what he had seen, the sound of loud, running footsteps echoed throughout the night's air. everyone turned to see Bilic running towards them, his face grim and drenched with perspiration.  
"Guys!" He barked, his voice angry and ragged. "We need a meeting! Now!"  
Jo and Jainen were taken aback by the suddenness of it all. "What is it?" Jo asked.  
"Is there a problem?" Jainen asked, fearing more unpleasant surprises.  
Bilic was panting hard, trying to catch his breath. He kept squeezing his eyes shut, letting sweat fall to the ground while he clutched his knees with his hands.  
"It's Felix." He said, a scared tone creeping into his anger. "He went off alone, found an abandoned train and went inside. When we got there, he was already out. But then while we were heading back, he just collapsed." His voice dropped.  
Jainen tried desperately to not scream in terror. If the sign of his friends dying were true, then he feared that it was already in action. He swallowed and tried to keep himself from shaking. It would do no good for himself or anyone else if he started panicking.  
"Where are they?" He asked, trying to keep his voice level.  
Bilic took a deep breath and pointed back to the town square.  
"They're waiting, now come on! There's no time to lose!" He shouted, already running, leaving the other three to follow.

* * *

By the time Bilic, Jainen and the others made it back to the town square, Felix was already getting back up, moaning as he rubbed his head.  
"What just happened?" He asked groggily. "I was fine one minute, then poof, I can't remember a thing."  
Bilic nodded in his direction, whatever fear he was carrying quickly fading. He spotted Valge by the town square's shop, trying hard to avoid any kind of contact with the others.  
Bilic scowled at Valge, growing furious at his friend's rapid mental recession. He had been perfectly fine until the group had joined together, but now he seemed on the verge of sickness, growing increasingly paranoid of everything for a reason no one could figure out.  
"Forget him." Bilic growled to himself. "There's bigger problems."  
Riley bounded into sight, barking urgently as he came closer. Felix called out to the excited Chain Chomp, who responded by bouncing towards the orange-clad Hammer Bro.  
"At least Felix is still acting normally, if being Felix is normal." He muttered. He turned back to the direction Riley had come from, spotting Elise coming towards them, a barely conscious Ms Mowz sitting on her shoulder. Ms Mowz looked on the verge of exhaustion, her arms wrapped in bandages.  
"Bilic." She said when she saw him. "I need to tell you something, right now."  
"What is it?" He said pressingly. "Tell!"  
"Guys!" Came another voice. Bilic scowl deepened. Who else could possibly be showing up? He immediately regretted the thought when he saw Sharp staggering towards them, hardly breathing as he approached the group.  
"Guys!" He said, breathing heavily. "Attacked...Zombies...Sky..Jane...Demon...bad..." His voice dropped into a desperate pant.  
"Sharp, calm down." Elise soothed. "What happened? Where's Sky and Jane?"  
Sharp gulped. Bilic and Elise immediately understood, their eyes growing wide. Elise gasped.  
"No, don't tell me something happened." She said weakly.  
"Something did happen." Sharp confirmed miserably. "Sky and Jane have been taken."

**End of Chapter 8.**

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**Yes, not much action in this chapter, and it looks rushed, but I spent a whole _MONTH_ making tweaks along the way, so don't complain.. if that's okay with you.**  
**All credit to Koopanovic for the rivalry idea. Thanks buddy, it got me out of a dead end!**  
**I might not be updating this story, or any of my stories, much, even though I'm on break. My Laptop recently died, and I have plenty of other projects to work on, FanFiction (with or without Koopanovic) or not. But in no way is this story dead, oh no.**  
**Until my next update, that's all for now.**


	9. Chapter 9: Time Is Nigh

**I know I said I'd make more chapters of this during my holidays, and now they're over and this is all I could come up with. I've got a long A/N at the end of the chapter explaining everything and my upcoming plans.**

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**Chapter 9: Time is Nigh**

Once the initial outburst of panic had been supressed, the ten of them settled down and shared their experiences and gained knowledge, if any. Felix explained how his demon, 'a certain ragdoll-face', as he called it, had killed a survivor before any information could be obtained. Elise did her best to explain what had happened to Ms Mowz, who was barely conscious and being attended to by Jainen, up on the northern wall, and how their encountered demon, Jarost, had nearly claimed both of their lives. She kept back anything Jarost had said about her brother, for fear she would lose control mentally. She also abstained from telling everything Ms Mowz had told her, because Ms Mowz had made her promise not to tell anyone.  
"Not yet." She had said, the small voice echoing inside Elise's mind.  
Sharp tried to tell everyone about what had happened, how his demon, Klicanje, had summoned a group of zombies to attack his group, but any information about Sky and Jane's disappearance was non-existent.  
"I swear, I have no idea what happened. I told them to run while I slowed down the zombies, but then they all just seemed to vanish back into the ground. Then these words merged out of the ground, in blood, saying: 'Valiant effort, but all in vain.'"  
The words sent chills down everyone's spine. Jainen was almost too afraid to relate his story, about how he saw that six of them were going to die. The revelation sent shockwaves of terror through his friends, the terror clearly portrayed on their faces.  
"Who's going to die?" Felix asked, quavering.  
"That's just it. I have no idea." Jainen said.  
Bilic stamped his foot on the ground. "None of us will die." He said assertively. "Can't you see what they're trying to do? They're just trying to scare us so that we won't do anything! What we need to do is to act now!"  
"Act how?" Sharp piped up. "We still know so little about the demons or their plans, and we're missing two of our friends."  
Bilic ignored the question. "We'll figure something out."  
"Sure we will." Valge muttered.  
Bilic turned to his fellow Hammer Bro with a look of uncensored anger.  
"Oh, and you have anything better to suggest?!" He yelled. "That we all just sit and distance ourselves from our friends, hiding information while we let the demons destroy everything?! Because that's all you've been doing!"  
'What are you guys talking about?" Sharp asked, confused.  
"You didn't believe me the first time!" Valge shot back.  
Felix stepped in between his friends. "Whoa guys, slow down." He said.  
Bilic shoved the Orange Helmet-clad Koopa, knocking him to the ground.  
"Don't tell me what to do, Felix!" He snapped. "You don't even take anything seriously!"  
Felix was lost for words, but his expression turned sour.  
"Oh, and you? Look at you!" He retorted. "You're being _too_ serious! And it's tearing us apart!"  
A violent flash of neonic pink blew the three quarrelling Hammer Bros apart from each other, stunning them briefly.  
"Stop!" Jo commanded.  
No one moved, too stunned to speak after what had happened.  
All except Jainen, who stepped forward.  
"Guys, please." He said. "We have to stick together. I know that we're not the same, I feel the same." He took a quick glance at Dragon Blazer, who stood aside, deliberately looking bored. "But if we tear each other up now, then the demons have already won."  
The other nodded in agreement.  
"I agree, but we can't take off yet. We're in no condition to face the demons." Elise said.  
Jainen nodded grimly. Jane and Sky were missing. Sharp was physically drained. Ms Mowz wasn't even conscious. The rest of them weren't much better.  
"What should we do then?" Jo asked.  
Elise found only one option. "We rest."  
No one wanted to, but they all realized it was the only logical decision.  
The group retreated to the inn, weary, battered and doubtful.

* * *

After Ms Mowz had been laid down and left in the vicinity of Sharp and Jainen, who were joined by their tired friends Jo, Dragon Blazer and Bilic, Elise went down to the ground floor of the inn, where the bar was located. She took a seat on the far end of the bar's long table, and Riley promptly bounced towards her, trying to nuzzle into her side.  
She looked around at her friends, who also seemed disenchanted by the bleak outlook of their situation. Valge stood idly in a corner, not meeting anyone's eyes. Felix slumped on the counter, tears in his eyes.  
Elise hadn't know Felix before the demons had cursed them and brought them together, but she knew that he had never looked sad or as depressed as he did now, it just didn't fit with him and his usual cheerfulness.  
She moved over to the Hammer Bro and put an arm around him. He lifted his head out of his arms, showing his pale red, tear streaked eyes.  
"Are you okay?" She asked cautiously.  
Felix wiped his nose with his arm and looked down.  
"I'm fine." He muttered. "It's just-" He faltered.  
Elise waited gently.  
"It's just, I don't know what we're coming to. Bilic and Valge have always been my best friends, and we've always been so close." He said. "But ever since we got trapped in this mess, Valge has withdrawn and Bilic seems so angry. And the way he yelled at me-" He buried himself in his arms again.  
Elise couldn't do much more than watch helplessly.  
"I know you're thinking I'm behaving like a child, that's fine." Felix sobbed.  
Elise felt a wave of certainty wash over her.  
"No, you're not." She said firmly.  
Felix rose once more from his arms.  
"What do you mean?" He said.  
"You're not behaving immaturely, you were just trying to be optimistic. You're definitely an optimist, and you always want to stay cheerful, even in the worst of times."  
Felix sniffled. "How-?" He stammered, confused.  
Before Elise could say anything, the whole building trembled violently, so violently it threatened to tear itself apart. Elise and Felix grabbed hold of the counter, only for the wooden structure to snap into jagged pieces. Massive cracks streaked across the floor and along the wall, travelling upwards at lightning speed. The ceiling above them began to cave in, dropping the entire upper floor and ceiling upon them, collapsing and burying them under it's rubble, racking their bodies in abject pain and terror, before the very ground beneath them collapsed, only to reveal an empty null void beneath them. All of this happened so quickly none of them could even register anything or any feeling as they fell haplessly into the endless blackness of the abyss.

**NZNZNZNZNZNZN**

_There is a time where darkness has taken over, painting the sky's black and sedating the living free spirits. The world degenerates, falling into an indescribable void into a new land, one of untold mystery, darkness and terror. And once the darkness has mustered enough energy, it will unleash a cryptic, mystic and undiscovered power upon the world, it's power so great that it cannot be documented. It is believed, without solid proof, that this untold evil lurks behind one mysterious and malevolent passageway, of which it's real name is too horrifying to be said aloud, christened to be know as the Doors of Eternal Midnight._

_- Unidentified Text, Unknown Author, 4570 years before the creation of the Mushroom Kingdom_

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**End of Chapter 9**.

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**Long A/N time: Look guys, I'll be frank and I'll just tell you right now that this FanFic will be Postponed until further notice. I never expected it to come to this, but I just can't get any ideas out for this story. Also, this Fic isn't really getting noticed, and I feel like I put in way to many OC's and what not, plus I'm very disappointed in the lack of actual followers (Not BoomShroom, WaffleGirl and Moley Koopa, which is why their OC's have taken a more central role) and the fact that I have other things, other FanFics (an unsaturated desire to contribute to the Brony FanDom, plus a joint FimFiction account with Koopanovic, who I don't want to let down), and a rather frenetic life punctured by school, extra classes, other activities, and a less-than-average procrastination.**

**But I will be back with this Fic, and characters will be chopped down. Predict as you may, but don't bother reasoning to keep characters alive, I've already decided and permanently locked it. But when they do start dying, just know that I'll remember who was actually following this fic, and who wasn't.**

**Until then, Zackovic out_End Transmission...**


	10. Chapter 10: Into The Abyss

**I'm pleased to announce that this story is back and running yet again! I could barely do anything, let alone write, with an influx of homework and tests, and some various other factors, but I decided that I'm going to get back online with this thing, though I know I'm still volatile to trolls (There's a reason why I moderate reviews), but I'm going to finish this story before other projects so that I don't have a guilty conscience later on.**

**Enough talk. Now to reading.**

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**Chapter 10: In The Abyss**

Jane snapped awake, her body lurching forward, before being jerked back. Her mind was racked with the most horrible nightmare, but her body forced her to see her surroundings. Reluctantly, Jane slowly fought off her sluggishness and assessed her situation.  
She was in a cavern, with jagged, rock walls around her and a low ceiling that was dotted with stalagmites. The cavern was lit with open lamps that blazed with a peculiar and unsettling blue flame.  
As much as Jane wanted to explore the cave, she couldn't move. She was bound to a pole in the center of the cavern, her arms tied behind her and her legs shackled to the grounds, unable to move even the slightest.  
"Hello?" She called, hearing her voice echo off the walls. She felt alone, but she knew it wasn't true. Whichever demon she had met in the cathedral had dragged her down here, for some unknown but definitely not pleasant reason.  
Jane growled deep in her throat. She was tired of these demons and their plans. And especially after the nightmare, she hated them even more.  
'I just hope the others are still okay...' She thought, despair sinking in her heart.

* * *

"Mowz?"  
Something shifted and moaned.  
"Mowz...get up."  
A white mouse winced and got up, fighting back her dizziness as her eyes got used to a surprising lack of light.  
Standing in front of her was a sky blue Yoshi armed with a long wooden pole that was surrounded by visible wind. He looked angry, but relieved at the same time.  
Ms Mowz blinked as she registered who was in front of her.  
"Sky?" She asked weakly.  
The yoshi nodded. "Yeah, it's me."  
"But..how? Sharp told us you were taken." Ms Mowz said.  
Sky shrugged. "I don't get taken easily." He claimed. "I've cornered and threatened too many times, I got to learn how to take flight." He looked at Ms Mowz. "You were a badge thief before. You understand what I said, right."  
Ms Mowz nodded. 'Flight' was the same as escape to the two of them.  
Sky kicked out at the ground below him, striking out at the air in a combat rehearsal.  
"You were lucky." He said, still fully focused on his routine, slicing through the air with lethal speed. "You were unconscious when the world above collapsed."  
"Wha..what?!" Ms Mowz stuttered in shock.  
Sky stopped. "Look around you." He said with closed eyes.  
Ms Mowz took in the surroundings, and gasped. The sky was an empty void of darkness, so black it was nearly purple, rumbling with thunder. But it was the world on the ground that caught her attention. Rubble was strewn across the landscape, stretching almost infinitely, lit ominously by some unknown type of energy that wavered in the cracks of the uneven land, illuminating the destruction that had been caused. The earth was made out of a patchwork of substances, from gravel to coal to shattered glass. The rubble that suffocated the land consisted of destroyed houses, composts of litter and stray waste, burning fires that blazed freely along the land and waste, and the smell of decaying matter wafted almost visibly through the air.  
Ms Mowz coughed, trying to hold back tears. Everything she had ever known was gone. Rougeport, The Mushroom Kingdom, the people she had known and loved. All gone. All taken away, obliterated, wiped from existence and sucked into this new world of nothingness. No fortune-tellers or the supposed 'future-viewers' could ever come close to imagining what lied before her.  
"What...what is this place?" Ms Mowz asked weakly, feeling her eyes fill with tears.  
Sky put an arm around her. "This...is what hell looks like." He said. "This place is sensing our existence, planning our deaths."

* * *

Elise struck out at the walls with all the anger she could muster, screaming in a state of near-rage.  
"Let us out!" She yelled.  
Riley, her inherited Chain-Chomp, barked in a similar fashion.  
Elise lashed out one more time, recoiling as the wall seemed to reflect her attack. She stumbled backwards and fell, a horrible, numbing sensation creeping up her arm. She stared at the ceiling, feeling helpless. Her memory rewinded to the moment, the very ground beneath the Rougeport Inn shattered. Unable to comprehend what was suddenly happening, she plummeted into the endless abyss of darkness, along with the rest of her friends.  
And...then the memory just ended. Elise blinked. How could she not remember what had happened? Had she blacked out? Had something wiped her memory of that moment? Why?  
All she was sure of was that she had ended up in this place, which resembled a windowless prison cell, complete with a stone bed and a dimly glowing torch, was clearly the work of the demons. All part of some intricate plan that she was only vaguely knowledgeable of.  
Elise growled, her eyes growing heavier. She didn't want to return into slumber, but her body was against her. Reluctantly, they closed.  
_'Rest._' A voice soothed as she drifted off. _'The last resort for the weary.'_

**End of Chapter 10.**

* * *

**Well, that's all for now. I hope this wasn't too terrible or too short after being gone for so long. :/**  
**Yes, I promise there will be more next chapter.**


End file.
